While mental health problems can definitely manifest in your physical appearance, it's not always about the way you look. In fact, because mental illnesses are often invisible, it's can be difficult to tell upon first glance that someone is going through a tough time.
Milly Smith, a body positivity and mental health advocate, made this important point on Tuesday with two side-by-side photos of herself — both of which, she said, were taken when she was in need of mental health support.
Smith posted the photos in honor of World Mental Health Day as a reminder for people to check in on the people in their lives who seem to have everything together, because they very well may not.
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"It’s world mental health day so here’s a friendly reminder to CHECK ON YOUR STRONG FRIENDS," she wrote. "Check on the friends who seem to have their shit together. Check on the friends who seem to be kicking life’s ass. Check on the friend who is there for everyone else."
Smith told PopSugar that she wanted to post the photos to remind everyone of how important it is to take care of mental health, whether you're taking care of yourself or you're trying to support a friend.
Many people going through severe mental health problems still have good days where it appears that nothing is wrong, but as Smith told PopSugar, that doesn't mean they don't still need support.
"We all have mental health," she wrote in her Instagram post. "We all need support and love. Just because one day we may seem stronger or happier it doesn’t mean we don’t need to check the crap out of our mental health and make sure we take care of it. Show support. Show love. Be caring. Be kind."
If you are experiencing depression and need support, please call the National Depressive/Manic-Depressive Association Hotline at 1-800-826-3632 or the Crisis Call Center’s 24-hour hotline at 1-775-784-8090.
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