Wearing Masks
The Fall Season at SMHWI is approaching, and many of our families are decorating for Halloween and parents are assisting their children with picking special costumes, some pleasant and some frightening.
Remember how fun it was to wear a costume for the day, hide behind a mask, and present as someone you’re not for the day.
The stigma associated with mental health issues can result in having to wear masks every day. Masks can stop people from seeing what we are really feeling or from what is really going on in our lives. Many people believe that we should present as having it all together, so others won’t know our struggles. Even though most people in society deal with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues, we are taught to cover up these problems so we can get acceptance from others and avoid judgment.We tend to smile when we are sad, deny our feelings, and when asked, How are you? state, “I’m fine”.
Our masks are varied and protect us from being vulnerable, including anger, silence, withdrawal, or intellectualizing to mask our feelings. The problem with wearing masks is that we present as ingenuine and become more isolated with our feelings.
The reason therapy works so well at SMHWI is because we provide a safe place to let yourself be vulnerable and put down your masks. At SMHWI we know your struggles and embrace you to be open about whatever you are dealing with in life. Therapy allows you to build trust and then incorporate that trust in all your relationships. Therapy also helps you normalize what you are going through, so you realize you are not alone with your struggles. Some of us are afraid to put down our masks because we feel vulnerable but to make progress in recovery, we need to learn to be open.
Deciding to seek treatment is a very scary process just like Halloween can be, but the result is usually feeling safer and more secure when you open up. The issues you are already dealing with in life are difficult enough, so don’t let your fear of sharing stop you from getting the help you need in the future.
Patrick Mingey, Director of Marketing
Patrick brings unique and varied skills to his position as Director of Marketing. His background includes 16 years as an addiction therapist and 41 years of personal recovery. He has dedicated his life to helping others and has worked with thousands of people who suffer from addiction and mental health disorders. He is passionate about making a difference in the lives of those he interacts with. Patrick has extensive experience in marketing and previously ran his own marketing company in which he provided graphic design, website development, and content marketing. He is very excited to offer not only his marketing expertise to Scottsdale Mental Health & Wellness Institute but also offer his passion for helping others.