Today is Mental Health Action Day. As I reflect on my mental health journey thus far, I feel that it is imperative to spread a message that encourages my fellow business leaders, peers, and advocates of change to develop action surrounding mental health. As a leader, many of you know me as a positive, energy-filled go-getter that is always doing something new. These traits are a part of who I am, absolutely, but there is also a truth that I typically keep only to my close friends and family. Every day, I live with clinical depression, also known as major depressive disorder.
"Strong back, soft front, wild heart." - Brené Brown
During this last year in college, as I revisited past trauma, challenged new and existing threats to my current mental state, and advocated for space in which we can be vulnerable as young people, I found my depression worsening. Anxiety attacks, days & weeks where it was hard to move out of bed, and moments in which I felt utterly alone and defeated was my reality. Yet there was still a spark of hope that guided me through this trying time: my why, which is the people that I love. And we continued to persist, together.
Before I delve into the beautiful moments that have been created from my depression, I want to make it clear that depression is not a “one size fits all case.” This mental health disorder is complex, while varying in specificity to everyone that lives with it. In 2019 in the U.S. alone, “the percentage of adults who experienced symptoms of depression was highest among those aged 18-29 (21.0%) (NCHS Data Brief). Twenty. One. Percent. Yes, and these findings were recorded in 2019! Pre-covid era. I can’t even begin to imagine the resilience we displayed, and the mental adversity that we have all faced together, alone as we challenged this pandemic, day by day. Moreover, my process when it comes to analyzing problems is built upon 2 simple questions: why is this happening, and what can we learn from it? I hear many people talking about “the pandemic of the mental health crisis” and so on and so forth, but I never see anything result from this newsroom of negativity. I see my generation as a ship, sailing into the ever-growing sea of technology and media. Drowning in an ocean of comparison, it feels impossible to listen to each other’s thoughts and opinions as we struggle to steer on the helm that was thrust upon us by our preceding generations. But we must stop. We must evaluate what was given to us, and then proceed to create change.
While working through a depressive episode of mine this last semester, I was given advice that I will carry for the rest of my life by a man named Dr. Nolan Cabrera. He explained, “the one thing that you cannot do is turn bitter. We need you too much.” As a tear streamed down my face, I thought, “these words inspire me.” He gave me hope to challenge my
melancholy, my fears, and my internal, Dr. Nolan Cabrera, University of Arizona
perceived shortcomings.
Now, today, I sit here in reflection on a day founded on action in mental health. What can you do? What can we do? Dr. René Shingles once gave me the council to meditate. Focus in. On the Moment. What do you hear? What do you smell? What do you taste? What do you see? What do you FEEL? Rather, HOW do you feel? This is action. This is bettering your mental health. Anyone can tell you: “go to therapy,” but to describe the immense pressure and anxiety that comes with clicking the button on your screen, to take that next step into the wilderness feels heavy, even impossible in the moment. It is okay to feel vulnerable. We all do, but persevere.
To my peers: build your team. Lean on people. You are not a burden, but rather a gift, even when it may not feel like it. Trust me when I tell you that people are watching your actions. Why? Because you give them hope. Before writing this article, I asked myself how in any sense does this relate to business? What gives me the right to post this on LinkedIn in the context of a professional setting? After much deliberation, it dawned on me that this is business. Business is people. Listening to each other’s stories, including the uncomfortable topics that society has told us will tarnish our reputation if we speak on, is when, in my experience, the most beautiful moments of vulnerability can occur in our time here on this planet. Your mental health is sacred. Take care of yourself.
And please, share your story.
Love, J. Alihan Kapusansky