In May, Mental Health Awareness Month, we shared one person’s story of her mental health challenges in order to help raise awareness and reduce the stigma associated with mental health. This month we continue to share what people say about their journey.

“I don’t even question taking time off for regular checkups with my dentist or eye doctor to help maintain my physical health. But it has taken me two decades to accept that I need the same for my mental health.

The first time I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression was 27 years ago, when I woke up at home next to my crying newborn baby and started crying at the same time. I can’t do anything for you. I’m helpless too, I thought. Eventually I was able to soothe her, but this episode scared me enough to tell my husband I needed help.

At my first therapy session, I was given a prescription for Ambien and told to make sure I got seven hours of sleep. I felt better a few days later and went to one more session the following week. Then I stopped going. The clinic kept calling me to return for more treatment, but I ignored the calls, telling myself I was too busy. As a wife, mother, daughter, and full-time employee, asking for help goes against everything I was raised to do — be the kind of person who gives help, not asks for it.

So instead of asking for and accepting help, I spent years swallowing my frustrations, day after day. I convinced myself I was fine, except every now and then I would reach my limit. With no knowledge of the stress and pain I was holding in. My family would suddenly be subjected to an extended rant that they began to call ‘the volcano.’

I knew I needed to change, but I couldn’t do it on my own.

Paying a professional to focus on me and listen to my problems felt selfish, like indulging in a spa. But I found myself seeking out therapy again and again — during my children’s adolescent years, career changes, and mourning the loss of a parent. Sometimes I needed medical intervention, and sometimes I didn’t. Most of the time, I went to individual counseling, or sometimes to a group. The methods may change depending on my situation, but over time, I realized that therapy is necessary as I navigate through transitions in my life.

If my tooth was causing me pain, I wouldn’t wait to go to the dentist. But I used to endure emotional and mental anguish for months before even thinking of going to a therapist. I wish I hadn’t been so afraid of seeming weak or so quick to make excuses not to go. Sometimes my mind needs help, and that’s ok. Going to therapy has meant finding the time to fill my tank so I can be a reservoir of grace for others. Instead of racing to go the distance through life to complete items on my to-do list, therapy reminds me to stop and check in, to make sure I also enjoy the view.”

Adapted from: Learning to Prioritize My Mental Health | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Retrieved: June 9, 2025.

Some times we all get overwhelmed and don’t even know it. One way to treat our mental health as seriously as our physical health is by having a monthly mental health checkup. Here are seven questions we can ask ourselves to gain greater awareness.

• Am I really treating my mental health as seriously as my physical health?
• Are my habits heading myself in the right direction or are they adding to my issues?
• Am I taking enough time for rest and recovery, both at the end of the week and during each day?
• Am I thinking clearly or do I get confused, have mental blocks, difficulty solving problems, or experience spotty memory?
• Am I doing things to maintain my energy level, diet, exercise, etc?
• Am I staying in touch with someone with whom I feel safe and secure?
• Am I checking my stress levels or having difficulty with irritability or sudden startle responses?

Concerned about any of the above or interested in joining us in our quest to reduce stigma and raise awareness of Mental Health Issues? Contact the Beautiful Minds Coalition: A Mental Health Ministry at BeautifulMinds@CovenantCares.org.

For additional information, please feel free to reach out to a Beautiful Minds Coalition team member, including: Kathy Simmons, Michael McMains, Lana McMains, Denise Haley, Mitch Orr, Laura Tafolla, and Dan Milford.

By Beautiful Minds Coalition: A Mental Health Ministry