Barbie'story

Mental health is something that is very personal to me. I never realized I had any issues until after my second child was born. At first, I just thought it was mommy brain. You know, the kind where you put the milk in the pantry and the cereal in the fridge? But then things got worse.

I come from a family where some people take medication for mental health issues, but it was never really a prominent topic of conversation. It wasn't until I went back to work after my maternity leave that I experienced some serious emotional and mental trauma.

A co-worker of mine informed me that my boss had given my office to a male co-worker while I was on leave. It was a prime office space that I had worked hard to earn, and I was devastated. I ended up going back to work before I was ready, and it was a complete disaster. I was trying to juggle being a mom, wife, and high producing employee all at the same time while being severely depressed and anxious.

To cope with the stress, I turned to alcohol. I thought it would help me relax, but it only made things worse. I found myself drinking way too much, way too often. It was a dangerous cycle that I couldn't seem to break.

Finally, in 2018, I hit rock bottom. My doctor told me that if I continued down this path, I wouldn't have much time left. It was a wake-up call. I had to make some serious changes.Thankfully, I found some great tools to help me on my journey to better mental health. Meditation and mindfulness have been a game-changer for me. And let's be real, who couldn't use a little more Zen in their life?

Today, I no longer feel the need to use alcohol as a band-aid to distract me from reality. I now have the ability to accept and adjust to any changes or challenges that would have caused me to stress out before I learned to live mindfully and make meditation a daily gift I give to myself.I'm not going to lie, it wasn't an easy journey. I had to do some serious work on myself, and it took a lot of time and dedication. But the payoff has been incredible. I feel more connected to my life, and I'm able to handle stress in a much healthier way.

Mental health is no joke. It's just as important as physical health, and it's time we start treating it that way. I hope that by sharing my story, I can inspire others to seek the help they need and find the tools that work for them. After all, we're all in this crazy journey of life together! 

Remember, the tools I found were life-saving, and they can be for you too! Start taking care of yourself today. I promise, you deserve it.