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| Gzeonie Hampton ('21) |
Moods are set and those energies often reflect your personal aura. Dark energy is pervasive and consuming if you stand in its presence for long durations of time. That being said, when you take on the role as someone else’s strength you have become your own weakness. Life can be hard and we all have our battles to endure but the stress and pain that come with being someone else’s champion is crippling. Resilience is an invaluable characteristic. However, when you consistently take on the fight of someone else you can become someone you had never set out to be. You find yourself battling issues that you’ve long since worked through or craving toxic coping mechanisms that you’ve already defeated. You find yourself lying in bed in the morning with no will to move or to eat. You may reschedule your day to push off anything that’s not mandatory. You begin to fear that you’ll soon be fighting the battle to live. YOU WEREN’T HERE BEFORE. HOW DID YOU GET HERE? You need help but where can you get it when you were the help. Who do you tell? You still have responsibilities and ambitions, but taking the steps to get there becomes almost insurmountable. No one knows what you’re going through but your personal relationships are affected.
Who can be strong for you, when you’re the stability for everyone else? When can you identify the onset of depression? When daily anxiety become debilitating? These are all questions that we must ask ourselves. It’s okay to find time to find a professional to talk to. It's acceptable to respect your peace by giving people back their burdens. It's alright to be honest and not sugarcoat your emotions. Most importantly, it's normal to be intimidated and challenged by your own situation. The key is to recognize these emotions and to find help. You can’t pour when you’re empty. So often we find ourselves pouring into others, when we have nearly nothing left. It’s okay to replenish yourself FIRST.
Mental health can become a battle, especially in stressful life situations. Don’t lose yourself to find someone else.
Gzeonie Hampton of Radcliff, Ky., is a member of the McConnell Scholar Class of 2021. She studies political science and English at the University of Louisville.
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