No tags yet.
The funny thing about depression, anxiety, and many other mental health issues is that the illnesses themselves prevent us from getting help. I was not sane in the membrane since at least 1st grade yet I did not seriously accept help with my issues until I was 26. I thought that since the problem was in my head that only I could fix it. After all, no one else can make me do something, only I can choose to/make myself do it. I muddled through life and barely survived as a miserable, majorly depressed, and anxious person. A big part of not getting help was simple stubbornness but it was complemented by the lethargy and nihilism of depression as well as the fear of the unknown and social interactions from anxiety. And yet, it was absolutely necessary to reach out for help.
I encourage you to examine your past and ask yourself, "Have I been able to manage my mental state with personal willpower alone? Have I been happy with my life using personal willpower alone?" If the answer is no then please seriously consider that you cannot do it alone and will never be able to do it alone. That you need the help of other people.
It can be deeply embarrassing asking for help. You feel like a child. You are an adult but you are admitting to another human being you are dependent like a child. It sucks. Be bolstered by the fact that it is necessary. If you have ended up here, as an isolated miserable anxious, depressed person, then you missed some childhood emotional development and need to go through it now. If you admit you cannot live life miserable and isolated anymore then it is simply necessary and must be done no matter how cringe-inducing. Also remember that millions of other adults have had to do embarrassing and humbling things in their lives. You are far from the only one. You are not an outlier if you ask for help. You are engaging in a perfectly ordinary life event that almost everybody goes through in one form or another. Know that the imaginary reactions from family, friends, or professionals that you have built up in your head are overly-pessimistic bullshit.