Guest Post: Keep on keeping on

The following guest post is by Sara Tirmizi, board member on the WMI. The post has been edited for stylistic consistency, with the author’s permission. Photo by Mim Fatmi.

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As Mental Health Awareness Month draws to a close, I find myself—like many others—stuck between trepidation, hope, and defeat. Don’t get me wrong, taking the month to educate ourselves about mental health is important. There should be articles. There should be discussions and honest conversations. But like so many other moments that are uplifted in the calendar year, once May 31st has passed, we often retreat back into silence. The banners go away, Google’s logo changes back, and our organizations begin to move on to the next big thing. It’s ironic that the month is so similar to how people with mental health struggles are treated. When it’s in front of you, you’re forced to confront it. But as soon as the person is happy and smiling, suddenly you forget about the demons they’re battling.

As a Muslim who’s had an ongoing battle with depression and anxiety for a decade, this is a frustration I’ve continuously carried with me. People assume you’re okay because you’re laughing and excited. They think “you did it”, as if depression is a one-time battle and once it’s over, it’s never coming back. Add in the complexities of being South Asian, and mental health suddenly becomes political. Don’t tell a potential partner that you go to counselling. Lie about scars and bad days. Be good, be mouldable, be grateful. For many of us, our parents immigrated here. They worked and bled for a new life. To them, mental health struggles stray from the norm. Not only that, but they take this weight onto their own shoulders—as if our minds are a direct link to everything they’ve ever done. As if our thoughts, values, and beliefs are only influenced by them.

As if we had a choice.

But it’s not just parents. For us, for those labelled as “Others,” the West constantly pulls us apart. We’re too much and not enough at the same time. We’re made to feel like we don’t belong every time we go to the grocery store and see the ads. Every time we hear a passing remark about these people. And of course, the question that everyone’s heard— “so, where are you really from?”

All of this is to say that our mental health hinges on a lot. And to only cast a spotlight on it once a year (in a very shallow way oftentimes on top of that) is to ignore the trauma and healing that most people go through every day of their lives. We should be educated and we should actively take steps to learn. But mental health is not a fad.

As one of my favourite artists says in reference to this—“this is me trying.” We owe it to ourselves and others to remember that everyone has a story and for many, their struggles are never acknowledged.

Take care, be good to yourself, and check in on others. Happy Mental Health Awareness year.