May 21, 2020
By Michelle Tan
In honor of May being Mental Health Month, in a time when fostering a positive mental health culture is more important than ever, I want to share 10 reasons why it’s important for me to keep talking about my own mental health experiences.
I’ve had symptoms of depression since high school, but I didn’t receive a diagnosis of major depressive disorder by a psychiatrist until my sophomore year of college. During that time, the people I could talk to about my mental health — my family, my friends, my professors, my counselor — were the people to whom I now and forevermore owe my whole life, and that’s why I believe in the power of talking about mental health.
I’ve struggled plenty with depression and anxiety since then, including throughout medical school and during this pandemic. But now more than ever, I’m determined to keep learning, keep growing, and keep talking.
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