Navigating Mental Health in Writing

When it comes to writing in the mental health world, there is a lot to take into consideration. You want to share your story but do so in a way that is not triggering for others or will be sensitive to stories that are different than yours. There is a lot of content out there as the nonfiction sector for mental health continues to grow through self-help books, educational materials and the telling of our loved ones' stories. However, I will be touching on the writing of personal essays or your own memoir.

It is important to remember who your audience is when writing your mental health related story. You want to remember how you would treat an individual if they were sitting face to face in front of you and what you would say to them in order to consider their emotional space and their own thoughts or feelings. Think about how you would approach telling them your story in person and how you would be sensitive in how you share your struggles. This is what you want to put on paper. Just like you would be careful about the words that are coming from your mouth, you want that care to translate into your writing as well.

Word choice is also incredibly important around the topic of mental health. It is very easy in today's culture to dismiss what someone is going through or to downplay a mental health diagnosis. It is like saying that someone is so "OCD" just because they like everything neat and tidy...but it is so much more than that for an individual that is actually diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Or when the weather reporter says that the weather is so "Bipolar" when in fact, that is downplaying the seriousness of Bipolar Disorder in which a lot of people have died by suicide from or are unable to function in daily life. If you also noticed, I used the wording "died by suicide" because when we say, "committed suicide," that makes it seem like the individual committed a crime when in fact, they died from a deadly mental health condition.

A mental health journey is a very sensitive topic in general, and you never know what someone else might be going through and so it is important to know your audience and what would be okay for you to share and what would be better left unsaid. Details are what I am talking about here. For example, if you have attempted suicide before, it would be better to leave out the details of how you attempted. If you have experienced self-harm, it would be better to leave out the means of how you harmed yourself. If you have an eating disorder, it would be better to leave out the deep details of your behaviors. It is for the protection of others that we leave out the detailed parts of our story while still sharing our overall struggles to help cultivate hope and healing.

This leads me into our purpose for writing about a mental health journey. It should still always be about the audience we are writing to. The main idea should be to provide a means of hope and to make a connection in order to encourage others along their own journey. You never know the connections that you will be able to make, just by being brave enough to share your own story first! We can still share a sense of hope, even when our stories are filled with darkness and despair, because where there is darkness, the light only shines brighter. Our stories should never lead someone down a path of destruction, and it definitely should never be intended to do so. You might wonder how to ensure that this would not happen when some stories are just so broken...you do have to pull out some piece of positivity in the end.

As difficult as it might be to find the silver lining in some very broken stories, what I have found helpful is to think of something that you are thankful for and share that towards the end. You could also share some coping skills that have helped you along your journey or some tips that you have found helpful along the way like having a set routine or having loved ones keep you accountable. You could share who your support system is comprised of or someone that has had an impact on your life. You could share the things that you do enjoy doing or a unique experience that you have had. You could even share how your mental health story has given you different lenses to see the world through and that you hope your story will make a difference. That in and of itself is a positive statement that you hope your story will reach others to let them know that they are not alone.



There is so much more that I can share, but ultimately, if you feel compelled to write your story, I encourage you to write it and share! We could all use a bit more of connection, hope, and love in this world. <3