I wanted to follow up on my post earlier today for Mental Health Awareness Day.

After posting, the word privilege came to me.

I wrote about the importance of prioritising your mental health. To love yourself enough to put your mental health ahead of your work and the needs of others.

And then it occurred to me that so many people in this world do not have that privilege.

So many of the world’s population are living in survival mode. They don’t have the awareness or resources to be able to even consider their mental health.

Of course, the current events in Israel & Palestine right now are front of mind as I type this.

So many live at the mercy of so much. Mental health is understandably not on their radar.

Since moving to the USA, I have met many people who are managing PTSD. Many of our neighbours and James’ colleagues are either currently serving in the armed forces or are retired. PTSD and trauma is prevalent. And, for the most part, they have the awareness and the support in doing their best to manage it.

There will be many suffering PTSD and other trauma in underprivileged countries, communities, and families that will never know they are living with mental illness. They are too busy trying to survive on a day-to-day basis.

If you are reading this, the chances are pretty high that you are in the privileged position to have your mental health on your radar. You have at your fingertips the resources, tools, and support you need to create the awareness, healing, and support plan you need.

You are privileged.

And so I invite you to respect and honour that privilege.

Self-love truly is self-responsibility.

At a time such as this when torture and terror are occurring in the world, it is your responsibility to take the best possible care of yourself.

Do not reject the gift of awareness and support available to you. That would be another crime on top of too much crime in our world.

With love,

Katie xx