Why I Think Personal Stories Matter
THE POWER WE EACH HAVE TO HELP OVERCOME THE STIGMAS OF MENTAL HEALTH
By Alexandra Lipp
(Henrik Donnestad / Unsplash)
I can't seem to put my finger on it. Whether it was the influence or depth within that experience which ensued this internal shift in me. I can say for sure that it made understanding the truth surrounding the topic of mental health integral to my life's story. Yet, in some ways, I almost feared what it would represent if I never indeed were to find a place of impact to which it gave meaning. But there it was in the winds of COVID-19, and amongst the uncertainty, where it was clear that the influence of one's personal story happens in the space we share.
Before I tell you about the moment I knew I had found the place where the depth of my passion and purpose would align, I must first tell you more about the purpose behind my desire. The meaning within the personal story that I've only ever found comfort in writing about is also one I've struggled to communicate verbally with new friends and co-workers. Since I was 19, I carried the event of my father committing suicide like a secret of a past life I could no longer be associated with unless I wanted to disperse others with pity upon me. Pity that fell on top of me like conviction towards a man without first knowing just how much he meant to me.
“There’s power in seeing others’ strengths that we can relate to, for it encourages hope in this unique sort of way.”
It was a time when the perceptions I held about what it would mean to share this story never allowed me in those crucial years following my father's death to imagine, desire, or even establish for myself the very thing I so desperately needed then. Which was clarity, something I've come to know in moments of authenticity and the only place I knew where to find the meaning behind the truest pain I'd ever felt. Although these lessons have given me clarity about mental health stigmas, I must admit I'm still learning new ways to overcome them.
I decided to share this time as best I could with someone I'd never met before what I often struggled to say. Because here was my opportunity to acknowledge in words what I could never find in the countless books I read about mental health after my father passed. An underlying hope from the truth of someone else's story wasn't only what I had looked for but what I had longed for my dad to know. And in that decision, I've come to realize that in life, we may face small yet significant moments where we will have to choose whether the truth of our pain connects us to something more meaningful or further anchors us to something in which we'll stay.
“ If we want to change other people’s perceptions and stigmas around mental health, we must first be willing to acknowledge the ones we hold within ourselves.”
This decision allowed me to see a place that united me with individuals who were open to listening to my personal stories and views — people who were also devoted to the impact of their own unique experiences regarding mental health. A path to something greater than me, it'd be the first place I'd have the opportunity to support the meaning behind a narrative I wanted for my own life. To connect people like my dad to a place where they may find hope. And although I'll never be able to call him now to discuss what I once never understood, I can open the door for others to find perhaps what he had been looking for.
There's power in seeing others' strengths that we can relate to, for it encourages hope in this unique sort of way. For me, it was the lack of knowing one I could relate to that compelled me to create my own for others. I believe this is what comes in the depths of disruption to find the potential of what it could mean to share our experiences. As I've begun to submerge myself in this new journey fully, one that I'm beyond excited to know as the next step in my career, I find myself coming back to my initial interests about how mental health is often perceived and misunderstood. I examine how there are so many stigmas and internal misconceptions around those seeking help. Leaving me to explore what it would mean if we not only owned the truth of our experiences but established their significance in our lives and encouraged others to do the same.
“I believe that in our willingness to create a space where stories can welcomingly coincide, we may bring about something well inspiring.”
Perhaps this is where I find hope, in envisioning the magnitude of change that could transpire from a slight shift in how we think. Something that has lived true for me through my own experiences and struggles to share with others a pain I felt they'd never understand. If we want to change other people's perceptions and stigmas around mental health, we must first be willing to acknowledge the ones we hold within ourselves. An answer to why we stop ourselves from sharing the impact of these encounters, which I've come to know only as life itself. I consider what it would have meant for me in those years of wanting to be heard but never a burden to see a place like the one I have now. A place of clarity in sharing my story's truth has brought me closer to those who exemplify what it means to listen genuinely.
The feeling of being surrounded by individuals who believe that healing often starts with something as unassuming as a conversation is one I can't explain. And although I don't know precisely how this chapter will conclude, I'm compelled by the beauty to which it began, and it's why I've chosen to share this story with you today. To invite individuals and organizations devoted to ending the stigmas around mental health to do the same. That despite what at times may feel like an uphill battle, we should never forget or mask the why behind the impact we want to make. I believe that in our willingness to create a space where stories can welcomingly coincide, we may bring about something well inspiring.
Alexandra Lipp is a 28-year old marketing professional based in Chicago, Il. She is a passionate writer who uses her blog to connect with others by lending her perspectives on experiences we all go through. Her hope is for her words to inspire others to see the beauty and purpose we each have in our lives. In her free time, Alexandra enjoys painting and photography.
