You Are Not Alone: One Friend Shares her Story to Help Break Stigma

When it comes to mental health, people often suffer needlessly because stigma prevents them from seeking the help they need. But that doesn’t have to be the case.

My friend Heather wants to share her story to help break stigma.

My longtime friend Heather recently shared her story with me in hopes that it will help break the stigma surrounding mental health for others.

I’ve known Heather for 25 years and in that time she has always came across as strong and tough. From the outside I never would have pegged her as someone with anxiety. Heather said that anxiety always existed just beneath the surface.  

“I would worry about everything and always think the worse,” Heather said. “I’ve just always been like that.”

Heather describes her anxiety as persistent, but manageable. But a 2014 house fire pushed her anxiety to the brink.

Heather was in her house with her daughter and mother when they heard the explosion that led to the house fire. They survived the fire but their house didn’t.

“After that I wasn’t sleeping at all,” Heather said. “Any time there was any sort of loud noise, once I heard it I would go into a panic attack.”

Heather said the smell of smoke also caused panic attacks and even little things seemed to throw her off the handle emotionally.

“I had no control over my emotions what so over,” she said.

Like many people, Heather said that she felt as though she should have control and resisted seeking help.

“I was scared,” she said. “I just tried to ignore it.”

Fortunately, Heather had a friend who persistently encouraged her to seek help.

“I’m very grateful that I had someone pushing me in the right direction,” Heather said. “I don’t know how bad I would have gotten.”

Heather made an appointment with her primary care physician who prescribed her medication for post-traumatic stress and anxiety and also offered resources for talk therapy.  

Heather stayed on the medication for six months and then was able to come off it. Now she said she can better recognize her triggers and manage her anxiety without medication.

“I’ll still have days where I just get really overwhelmed,” Heather said. “It’s just one of those ongoing issues for me.”

Heather shared her story with me for this blog because she wanted to encourage others who are scared to seek help for mental health issues.

“The biggest thing I want to share is that they are not alone,” Heather said. “There are so many people that are facing the same thing that they are. It’s okay to reach out and to get the help that they need.”