Aimee's story matters: the gift of giving and getting support

Think Tank podcast

Title: Aimee: Your story matters

Speaker: Amy Hopkins, Clinical Writer and Liason

Amy Hopkins: Sharing our personal stories brings us together. It lets us know we're not alone. Today on the podcast, I have an audio clip from my friend Aimee, who shares a bit of her story and what she's done to get the support she needs and take care of herself. Amy is such a gift. Her story is a gift. Welcome to The Think Tank Podcast.

Aimee Prange: I've struggled with depression and anxiety as far back as I can remember. Probably beginning early childhood well into my adulthood, really felt like I was very much alone, even though I was surrounded by lots of people and I felt incredibly misunderstood. By all appearances to others, I was happy and okay. I really just kept my feelings and kept things to myself out of fear of what other people would think. They never knew how much I struggled or that I actually would go on to attempt to end my life on more than one occasion.

Seeking mental health treatment was one of the greatest gifts I've ever given myself. It took me a long time to admit that I needed treatment. I really worried that seeking treatment somehow meant that I had to admit that I was weak and broken. I couldn't have been more wrong. Overcoming that barrier of not feeling valued and learning how to be authentic to myself just brought me so much healing. And through treatment, I gained insight that it's okay to let other people support you, and that includes letting your friends in and your loved ones, and honestly, even your co-workers.

I spent the early part of my life really believing that if you asked people for help, that you were burdening them. And so I decided for them without ever asking if it was a burden. But now I know that it takes courage to ask for help. And when I do this, especially with the people who know me best, I don't have to go through tough things alone. People genuinely care and they want to support me.

Several years ago, I took a risk and I opened up and shared some of my struggles with my manager when I was having a tough time. And I let her know how she could support me best by giving her specific things that she could do to help me. And that conversation was really lifechanging. I felt listened to and seen and really for the first time understood. My manager never treated me differently or changed the way that she thought of my capabilities, and I worried about that a lot. She simply let me know that she cared and asked how I was from time to time.

Treatment helped me learn that doing things to take care of myself was okay. I now build in time for self-care every day. So things like I take 15 to 30 minutes at the end of each workday just to kind of decompress before I jump back into parenting and all the things that go along with adulting. And I've found that activities like crochet and coloring not only help keep my hands busy, but it's very relaxing for my mind in the evenings for downtime as well.

I found strength and empowerment in owning my struggles, not only that day in that meeting with my supervisor, but really every day since then. And not letting those struggles define who I am. Depression and anxiety will never control my story. They're part of me, but they don't define me.

Amy Hopkins: I want to highlight something that Aimee said, that she once believed that if she asked for help, that she was burdening people. And now she knows that she doesn't have to do things alone. That people care and want to support you. I hope you heard that too. There is support. There are people who care and your story matters. I'll see you next time on The Think Tank Podcast.

Disclaimer: The Think Tank Podcast is brought to you by Resources for Living and developed by The Think Tank Podcast team. It features Amy Hopkins, Brig Dunsmore, Angela Bell, Leslie Zachariah, Emily Lockamy and Narciso Bowman. If you need support managing life's issues, know there's help available. Check with your human resources to learn more about benefits that can support your mental wellbeing. And remember, if you are in a mental health crisis, please call or text 988 to connect with the crisis lifeline.