World Mental Health Day: My Journey

Hello, I’m Katie.

For as long as I can remember, mental health has been something I’ve struggled with. Since my teenage years, I’ve wrestled with low mood and anxiety, trying to manage it myself as best I could. Most of the time, it felt like a solitary battle. A few short-lived attempts at seeking help that didn’t stick, leaving me to push on and hope things would improve.

For years, I masked my struggles. At work, I forced myself to keep going even when I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and anxious. I smiled and joked with friends while inside, I was quietly battling the weight of low mood. Relationships sometimes suffered because I felt too drained to fully show up, and I often hid my struggles out of shame or fear of being judged. It was exhausting, living life on autopilot while trying to appear “okay.”

Being made redundant was a turning point. Suddenly, the pressure to perform at work was gone, but so was the distraction. I was significantly struggling and knew it was time to go back to the doctors. I was lucky (really lucky) to find an amazing doctor who listened, understood, and offered the right support. I’m now on medication and finally starting to feel peaceful and calm for the first time in years.

Part of what had been affecting me for so long were low iron and B12 levels, which can have a huge impact on mood and energy. Now that these are being addressed alongside my mental health support, the difference is remarkable. It’s a relief to finally be getting the help I need, physically and mentally, to live a more balanced life.

World Mental Health Day is a reminder that it’s okay to acknowledge struggles, to seek support, and to take steps toward feeling better. I hope sharing my journey encourages others to reach out, to be honest about what’s going on inside, and to remember that getting help is not a sign of weakness, it’s an act of courage.

There is hope. There is light at the end of the tunnel. I’m finally starting to feel it.

With love,
Katie