For the past few weeks, I've been dealing with a sharp pain in the sole of my right foot, whose cause I still can't identify. This pain significantly limits my ability to do physical activities like running or playing football. It’s been a frequent topic of conversation with my colleagues, family, and friends lately.
What's interesting about these conversations is how naturally I talk about my foot, even with people I barely know (as I am doing right now in this post). At the same time, they listen with attention, don't feel uncomfortable, and don't shy away from the topic. Some even offer advice. This got me thinking—why is it so much harder to talk about emotional pain or mental health issues in the same way?

Often, we mask or downplay our mental health struggles because of a fear of being judged, labeled, or even penalized. There's still a huge stigma around issues like anxiety, depression, or usual and natural responses such as stress. We rarely stop to consider the consequences of not sharing what's going on with us or how isolating it can feel to carry that burden alone.
A typical situation where we pretend everything is ok is when someone asks, ‘How are you doing?’ and we reply, ‘I'm fine,’ even when our mental health is suffering for several reasons. One of the biggest lessons I've learned working in this field is that it's okay not to be okay. It's perfectly fine to admit we're not doing well, even if it makes other people a little uncomfortable. After all, a few minutes of discomfort for them shouldn't be more important than months of us feeling weighed down by what we're going through in silence.

So, the next time someone asks how you're feeling, consider talking about your mental health and the factors affecting it. Psychological and emotional challenges deserve the same attention and care as physical health. Asking for help when we need it or admitting we're not as okay as we seem doesn't make us weak—it makes us human.
And if you find yourself on the other side of that conversation, when someone opens up to you about their struggles, listen without judgment, and show empathy and compassion. You never know—you might go through something similar in the future, or maybe you're struggling right now, and this is a golden opportunity to share it. In the end, we all deserve to feel heard, understood, and supported on this journey toward better mental health.
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