Hey guys! How are you today? Would you say you’re happy? Feeling Anxious or stressed out? Are you maybe in a dark place right now?
We’re asking because few weeks ago American singer, songwriter, and actor Adam Lambert took to Twitter to open up about his mental health struggle. He posted a letter to fans revealing that he “is coming out of a dark period” and that there was a time “he was lonely and becoming depressed.”
Hi. I know you’ve been waiting! Well I’m finally ready to bring new music to all of you.
— ADAM LAMBERT (@adamlambert) February 21, 2019
I wanted to give a gift to you to kick off this new era before I drop my first official single. It’s a preview of the upcoming album – and a song from me to you.#FeelSomething pic.twitter.com/pOb5LxQVvF
But depression and other forms of mental illness can affect people from all walks of life, not just celebrities. In fact, earlier a friend texted me saying she’s feeling depressed and no, she wasn’t just expressing her sadness. Two months back, one of my gay friends revealed he was diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) almost a decade ago, that at the time he felt like he was going to die. And just this month, a cousin confessed he suffered from depression and was experiencing suicidal ideations due to a childhood trauma he endured for years. The sad thing is that we’d only learn about the struggles of our loved ones years after the fact, when they are finally able to talk about it. But let’s not go further because I think it’s safe to say that at one point in our life, most of us if not all, had suffered from poor mental health… that we’ve all been in that dark place.
Which brings us to this question: How do you take care of your mental health?
According to The Mental Health Foundation, there are many ways we can look after our mental health, and we quote:
- Talking about our feelings
- Leading an active lifestyle
- Eating well
- Drinking sensibly
- Keeping in touch
- Ask for help
- Take a break
- Do something we are good at
- Accept who we are
- Care for others.
But how do we know we are in need professional therapy and counseling? Psychology Today has a mental health assessment which we can take here.
That being said, do you pay attention to your mental health and what do you do to take care of it? Sound off below!
Thank you so much for this article. I really appreciate it.
To improve mental health:
1. Avoid drama at all cost.
2. Cease being triggered by things.
3. Stop embracing victim mentality.
4. Don’t think just because you can.
5. Let things go.
6. Manage (minimize) your time on the Internet.
7. Interact with others face-to-face more than digitally.
8. Carefully decide who or what you allow yourself to be offended by.
9. Recognize that others with different feelings, beliefs or social stances are not your enemies; you and they are equals.
Not long ago, I underwent surgery to remove my testicles; due to cancer. The lack of testosterone really took its effect, and still does. There are many days that I struggle mentally. Feelings of inadequacy, not feeling manly enough, and mentalities evolving my ED. Many days I just fee depressed. I dont have the answers for these feelings, in which I rely heavily on medical and therapeutic proffesional to cope. However, Matt’s responses, as anyone dealing with mental issues know, are not (and in no way near) solutions to follow. In fact, these mentalities are 100% non effective and further… Read more »
Cody, I’m sure you will be fine. I myself don’t have a lot of sexual drive anymore, as I’m getting older, and my cock doesn’t get super hard anymore, and is somewhat small. But I have found although sexual fun is important, a lot of being gay, or bi, or (even straight) isn’t the most important thing in life. I am gay, have a gay BF, and we find that we have great times together. We go do things, go to movies, eat out, go to sporting events, concerts, travel, and of course spend lots of time with each other.… Read more »
Cody, I dated a man who was born without testicles, later in his youth, his parents had a set of prosthetic balls installed. He didn’t mention his lack of balls, but i knew, there was something missing as they were hard as rocks and quite small. Just think of how small a 10 year old set of balls are and that’s what was there. He has an under average cock, it did get good and hard, and he liked getting banged, a lot, he also ejaculated a lot as his prostate was/is still functional. The only reason the relationship didn’t… Read more »
A great list Matt. Thanks
I do my best to pay attention to my mental health. Generally, I run on a three-day cycle by keeping in contact with my family — with whom I have a good and supportive relationship. This was theirs and my healthcare providers’ idea. Though I’m 37 today, I’ve lived with several mental disorders since I first sought professional care when I was 25. Mainly and without mentioning my personal laundry list of diagnoses, I have depression and bipolar disorder. Easily treatable with prescription medications prescribed to me with one-on-one psychotherapy (also called talk therapy), I live a much better functioning… Read more »
To elaborate further into my dialogue — please understand, not of narcissism, but I want to enhance it for helpful descriptions from personal experiences. Do you hear other men speak of the word “drama” in a negative context? Though I hear it and laugh a bit to myself with a light heart because of relating it more to the acting and stage arts, I assume the negative stereotyping revolves around someone projecting personal problems unto others. My personal experience here is to note that, in my early 20s, I may have unfortunately been unaware that I was projecting. I had… Read more »
In a very dark place right now ! I would call it homicidal rage !
Yeah, it was “very dark” for awhile, still is, dark out there, in the larger world, difference is, I now keep that outside of my being, my head, my mind, soul! Yeah, unplug from the world occasionally, keep outside of the world at large sometimes, get back to your core being, find ways to heal whatever pain in the past there is (letting go of it) start there… It’s like if you’ve even lived in NYC, then you know you need to get out occasionally, or “Miss NYC will devour you.” The world has only become more complicated, not simpler,… Read more »
Not just in the gay community, but everywhere in the USA, people buy into identifying as a victim and they marry with narcissistic tendencies (of everyone is against me WHEN THEY ARE NOT) and you’re on the road to borderline personality disorder. I’ve stopped inviting some gay friends to my gathering and when they asked why, I said that I was done listening to their drama-victim self-imprisonment. Your locus of control is either internal (empowered) or external (everyone is against me). Even with an internal locus of control, it’s an uphill struggle, but with an external locus of control, the… Read more »
Interesting to see this here— really appreciate the community coming out in greater support for mental health. Blow n go hookups have been quite shitty for my own wellness and its pretty daunting to find actual intimacy sometimes… sigh
BINGO! That, is the point I make about todays gay-life style, you set yourself up for disappointment/illnesses-physically/mentally/spiritually with what becomes an addiction for dick-or ass… now, you know…Talk about unwanted “baggage”….
There’s just no getting around what your better-side or inner-being is just living for, that ‘it’ knows what ‘is’ really good for you; being LOVED and LOVING someone…
Mental health problems aren’t just limited to the gay community, but I do believe gays have a lot harder time dealing with it. Bluntly this society makes it very difficult to enjoy life. So much judgement by others. Your judged by so many things, looks, age, religion, race, gay, straight, bi, financial status, who your friends are, where you live etc. One big problem is that their is never enough money, unless your top brass in some big company, earning a 6 figure income. When bills that take everything you make, it makes it very hard to enjoy life. Jobs… Read more »
Yes, to add to my post, yes, I get very down at times, and sometimes very angry. I have a great BF, and yes we do just about everything, but when it comes to having sex the 2 of us have hit a stalemate. We love to do all kinds of things from travel, shop, concerts, dining, etc. I will say he is the world best friend, but sexually, he just doesn’t seem sexually interested in me in particular. Yes, he sees others and has sex, and that’s ok with me. I have no problem with it. Neither of us… Read more »