You know how drowning doesn't look like drowning?
It’s not all loud yells for help and splashing
It’s quiet
Because that person is using all their energy, using everything they have just to keep their head above water
Mental health is like that too
I think people expect that someone drowning in their mental health struggles should have obvious signs
But we don’t (always)
We are spending all our energy just keeping ourselves afloat
Getting out of bed, working, raising our families
There’s nothing left for splashing about and screaming out for the help we so desperately need
So we just keep going and going
Until we can’t anymore
And we silently sink
And everyone wants to know why there were no signs
Maybe there were
Just everyone was looking for the screaming and the splashing and missed the silent suffering
Dr Emma
2019
