On Tuesday, writer Jared Wicker of Sydney, Australia, shared about a mental breakdown he experienced a few months ago. The next day, Houston-based CEO Katie Mehnert shared about her recent struggles, and suggested a hashtag for others who are suffering: #ImNotOK. It just goes to show: It doesn't matter what you do or where you are, these times are tough on everyone.
See more in their posts below, and share your thoughts in the comments.
Three months ago, I had a mental breakdown. A full uncontrollably-crying-in-the-bathroom-at-work-like-a-small-child-in-the-middle-of-the-day honest-to-god mental breakdown. And I didn’t know why. Sure, I’d been working like a madman in an incredibly high pressure industry. And yeah, I’d been locked away from my friends and family for months during a global pandemic. And I guess I hadn’t felt content or *happy* in a long, long time. But that could come later. After the projects. After the awards. When I finally deserved it. It was a total mystery. The day I had my breakdown, I saw a doctor, who convinced me to take a week off work. I was in tears in her office, after all. It made sense. The people at work insisted too. So I relented. I took time to climb Australia’s tallest mountain with my girlfriend. I took my very first anti-depressant. I took stock of how intense and overwhelming my world had actually felt for the past year. But when I got back and slowly started telling my friends, I was embarrassed. What successful, sane adult lets themselves get to this point? I had no idea how many. Everyone else had stories, too. Of crying in the office just last week. Of waking up that morning empty and hollow. Of feeling like their carefully constructed world had been built out of cheap legos. Almost everyone. That’s what surprised me the most. That’s why I’m sharing. Nobody is fully okay. We all are going through something. Listen to your staff. Listen to your co-workers. Mine did, and it was everything. More importantly, listen to yourself. It’s something I just started doing. For years, I ignored the me I was for the me I wanted to become. And it took a mental breakdown to shake me out of it. A full uncontrollably-crying-in-the-bathroom-at-work-like-a-small-child-in-the-middle-of-the-day, honest-to-god mental breakdown. I still can’t believe it happened. But I’m glad it did. (Thanks to the legends at Howatson+Company and Elaine Li for helping me during this super fun roller coaster.)
Howard Tikka, MBA commented on this
Three months ago, I had a mental breakdown. A full uncontrollably-crying-in-the-bathroom-at-work-like-a-small-child-in-the-middle-of-the-day honest-to-god mental breakdown. And I didn’t know why. Sure, I’d been working like a madman in an incredibly high pressure industry. And yeah, I’d been locked away from my friends and family for months during a global pandemic. And I guess I hadn’t felt content or *happy* in a long, long time. But that could come later. After the projects. After the awards. When I finally deserved it. It was a total mystery. The day I had my breakdown, I saw a doctor, who convinced me to take a week off work. I was in tears in her office, after all. It made sense. The people at work insisted too. So I relented. I took time to climb Australia’s tallest mountain with my girlfriend. I took my very first anti-depressant. I took stock of how intense and overwhelming my world had actually felt for the past year. But when I got back and slowly started telling my friends, I was embarrassed. What successful, sane adult lets themselves get to this point? I had no idea how many. Everyone else had stories, too. Of crying in the office just last week. Of waking up that morning empty and hollow. Of feeling like their carefully constructed world had been built out of cheap legos. Almost everyone. That’s what surprised me the most. That’s why I’m sharing. Nobody is fully okay. We all are going through something. Listen to your staff. Listen to your co-workers. Mine did, and it was everything. More importantly, listen to yourself. It’s something I just started doing. For years, I ignored the me I was for the me I wanted to become. And it took a mental breakdown to shake me out of it. A full uncontrollably-crying-in-the-bathroom-at-work-like-a-small-child-in-the-middle-of-the-day, honest-to-god mental breakdown. I still can’t believe it happened. But I’m glad it did. (Thanks to the legends at Howatson+Company and Elaine Li for helping me during this super fun roller coaster.)
Paul Jerome commented on this
Three months ago, I had a mental breakdown. A full uncontrollably-crying-in-the-bathroom-at-work-like-a-small-child-in-the-middle-of-the-day honest-to-god mental breakdown. And I didn’t know why. Sure, I’d been working like a madman in an incredibly high pressure industry. And yeah, I’d been locked away from my friends and family for months during a global pandemic. And I guess I hadn’t felt content or *happy* in a long, long time. But that could come later. After the projects. After the awards. When I finally deserved it. It was a total mystery. The day I had my breakdown, I saw a doctor, who convinced me to take a week off work. I was in tears in her office, after all. It made sense. The people at work insisted too. So I relented. I took time to climb Australia’s tallest mountain with my girlfriend. I took my very first anti-depressant. I took stock of how intense and overwhelming my world had actually felt for the past year. But when I got back and slowly started telling my friends, I was embarrassed. What successful, sane adult lets themselves get to this point? I had no idea how many. Everyone else had stories, too. Of crying in the office just last week. Of waking up that morning empty and hollow. Of feeling like their carefully constructed world had been built out of cheap legos. Almost everyone. That’s what surprised me the most. That’s why I’m sharing. Nobody is fully okay. We all are going through something. Listen to your staff. Listen to your co-workers. Mine did, and it was everything. More importantly, listen to yourself. It’s something I just started doing. For years, I ignored the me I was for the me I wanted to become. And it took a mental breakdown to shake me out of it. A full uncontrollably-crying-in-the-bathroom-at-work-like-a-small-child-in-the-middle-of-the-day, honest-to-god mental breakdown. I still can’t believe it happened. But I’m glad it did. (Thanks to the legends at Howatson+Company and Elaine Li for helping me during this super fun roller coaster.)
Mental health is just as important as physical health, which is a concept that has never fully been embraced. Several years ago I hit my low point following the death of my best friend. I stumbled across a news article concerning PTSD and mental health that featured an interview with a former boss of mine. He was, to many, the quintessential US Marine. A man that we would not "follow to the gates of hell" but rather be right ahead of him, kicking the doors open for him. I saw on my screen his battle, how he continued to deal with demons. Seeing that started my journey toward recovery. Sharing your story provides someone else, someone like me, the incentive to get better. Thank you
Andy Sutton commented on this
Three months ago, I had a mental breakdown. A full uncontrollably-crying-in-the-bathroom-at-work-like-a-small-child-in-the-middle-of-the-day honest-to-god mental breakdown. And I didn’t know why. Sure, I’d been working like a madman in an incredibly high pressure industry. And yeah, I’d been locked away from my friends and family for months during a global pandemic. And I guess I hadn’t felt content or *happy* in a long, long time. But that could come later. After the projects. After the awards. When I finally deserved it. It was a total mystery. The day I had my breakdown, I saw a doctor, who convinced me to take a week off work. I was in tears in her office, after all. It made sense. The people at work insisted too. So I relented. I took time to climb Australia’s tallest mountain with my girlfriend. I took my very first anti-depressant. I took stock of how intense and overwhelming my world had actually felt for the past year. But when I got back and slowly started telling my friends, I was embarrassed. What successful, sane adult lets themselves get to this point? I had no idea how many. Everyone else had stories, too. Of crying in the office just last week. Of waking up that morning empty and hollow. Of feeling like their carefully constructed world had been built out of cheap legos. Almost everyone. That’s what surprised me the most. That’s why I’m sharing. Nobody is fully okay. We all are going through something. Listen to your staff. Listen to your co-workers. Mine did, and it was everything. More importantly, listen to yourself. It’s something I just started doing. For years, I ignored the me I was for the me I wanted to become. And it took a mental breakdown to shake me out of it. A full uncontrollably-crying-in-the-bathroom-at-work-like-a-small-child-in-the-middle-of-the-day, honest-to-god mental breakdown. I still can’t believe it happened. But I’m glad it did. (Thanks to the legends at Howatson+Company and Elaine Li for helping me during this super fun roller coaster.)
I had a similar experience in a hotel room shower on a work night away about 7 years ago. I phoned a friend in work who told me to drive home and I took 3 weeks off. At the time it was the worst thing that had ever happened to me but in hindsight it was also the best. I've recovered (its still a day to day recovery) and I wouldn't wish a breakdown on anyone. But I needed to hit the bottom to make me realize. I'm glad you're back on track. And thank you for speaking up because the more mental health issues are normalized the better off we will be as a society
ANN BENNETT commented on this
Three months ago, I had a mental breakdown. A full uncontrollably-crying-in-the-bathroom-at-work-like-a-small-child-in-the-middle-of-the-day honest-to-god mental breakdown. And I didn’t know why. Sure, I’d been working like a madman in an incredibly high pressure industry. And yeah, I’d been locked away from my friends and family for months during a global pandemic. And I guess I hadn’t felt content or *happy* in a long, long time. But that could come later. After the projects. After the awards. When I finally deserved it. It was a total mystery. The day I had my breakdown, I saw a doctor, who convinced me to take a week off work. I was in tears in her office, after all. It made sense. The people at work insisted too. So I relented. I took time to climb Australia’s tallest mountain with my girlfriend. I took my very first anti-depressant. I took stock of how intense and overwhelming my world had actually felt for the past year. But when I got back and slowly started telling my friends, I was embarrassed. What successful, sane adult lets themselves get to this point? I had no idea how many. Everyone else had stories, too. Of crying in the office just last week. Of waking up that morning empty and hollow. Of feeling like their carefully constructed world had been built out of cheap legos. Almost everyone. That’s what surprised me the most. That’s why I’m sharing. Nobody is fully okay. We all are going through something. Listen to your staff. Listen to your co-workers. Mine did, and it was everything. More importantly, listen to yourself. It’s something I just started doing. For years, I ignored the me I was for the me I wanted to become. And it took a mental breakdown to shake me out of it. A full uncontrollably-crying-in-the-bathroom-at-work-like-a-small-child-in-the-middle-of-the-day, honest-to-god mental breakdown. I still can’t believe it happened. But I’m glad it did. (Thanks to the legends at Howatson+Company and Elaine Li for helping me during this super fun roller coaster.)
I am admiring you for sharing such event. I am so proud of your manager that care and allow you to take your time so well deserved. Remember, companies do not need HEROES, they need people like you that dedicate their time day in and day out, they need people that care. Always try to find a balance in your personal/work life. Your job and problems will always be at your desk the next day. With this, I am not implying to not take care of priorities or emergencies, but to take a step back and view the big picture and comply. The pandemic times and the stress and consequences it brought to America and the world are numerous, for people and companies. Many companies closed down for good. Many others, struggled to stay afloat and others had people like you that gave more than expected, and were successful. I am sorry to hear what you have experienced, and I pray that you will recover soon. As anything in life, you have just learned that YOU are also very important, because without you there is no company, there is no country. Thank you for sharing such story; and I am happy to know you are getting better.
Jodi Briganti commented on this
Three months ago, I had a mental breakdown. A full uncontrollably-crying-in-the-bathroom-at-work-like-a-small-child-in-the-middle-of-the-day honest-to-god mental breakdown. And I didn’t know why. Sure, I’d been working like a madman in an incredibly high pressure industry. And yeah, I’d been locked away from my friends and family for months during a global pandemic. And I guess I hadn’t felt content or *happy* in a long, long time. But that could come later. After the projects. After the awards. When I finally deserved it. It was a total mystery. The day I had my breakdown, I saw a doctor, who convinced me to take a week off work. I was in tears in her office, after all. It made sense. The people at work insisted too. So I relented. I took time to climb Australia’s tallest mountain with my girlfriend. I took my very first anti-depressant. I took stock of how intense and overwhelming my world had actually felt for the past year. But when I got back and slowly started telling my friends, I was embarrassed. What successful, sane adult lets themselves get to this point? I had no idea how many. Everyone else had stories, too. Of crying in the office just last week. Of waking up that morning empty and hollow. Of feeling like their carefully constructed world had been built out of cheap legos. Almost everyone. That’s what surprised me the most. That’s why I’m sharing. Nobody is fully okay. We all are going through something. Listen to your staff. Listen to your co-workers. Mine did, and it was everything. More importantly, listen to yourself. It’s something I just started doing. For years, I ignored the me I was for the me I wanted to become. And it took a mental breakdown to shake me out of it. A full uncontrollably-crying-in-the-bathroom-at-work-like-a-small-child-in-the-middle-of-the-day, honest-to-god mental breakdown. I still can’t believe it happened. But I’m glad it did. (Thanks to the legends at Howatson+Company and Elaine Li for helping me during this super fun roller coaster.)
This interests me because I was blacklisted for years by some I formerly worked with, who admonished me for crying in the office when I found out at the office (two months apart) that a best friend had died, and then my mother’s sister, my aunt, who I had lived with for years. Death wasn’t a good enough reason. I still heard (through others) for years about being *emotionally unprofessional* from some I worked with on that project. DEATH wasn’t a good enough reason to show any emotion in that work group. That’s why this interests me. And you are STRONGER than you know. Just.Keep.Going;
Rosalind W Jordan commented on this
Three months ago, I had a mental breakdown. A full uncontrollably-crying-in-the-bathroom-at-work-like-a-small-child-in-the-middle-of-the-day honest-to-god mental breakdown. And I didn’t know why. Sure, I’d been working like a madman in an incredibly high pressure industry. And yeah, I’d been locked away from my friends and family for months during a global pandemic. And I guess I hadn’t felt content or *happy* in a long, long time. But that could come later. After the projects. After the awards. When I finally deserved it. It was a total mystery. The day I had my breakdown, I saw a doctor, who convinced me to take a week off work. I was in tears in her office, after all. It made sense. The people at work insisted too. So I relented. I took time to climb Australia’s tallest mountain with my girlfriend. I took my very first anti-depressant. I took stock of how intense and overwhelming my world had actually felt for the past year. But when I got back and slowly started telling my friends, I was embarrassed. What successful, sane adult lets themselves get to this point? I had no idea how many. Everyone else had stories, too. Of crying in the office just last week. Of waking up that morning empty and hollow. Of feeling like their carefully constructed world had been built out of cheap legos. Almost everyone. That’s what surprised me the most. That’s why I’m sharing. Nobody is fully okay. We all are going through something. Listen to your staff. Listen to your co-workers. Mine did, and it was everything. More importantly, listen to yourself. It’s something I just started doing. For years, I ignored the me I was for the me I wanted to become. And it took a mental breakdown to shake me out of it. A full uncontrollably-crying-in-the-bathroom-at-work-like-a-small-child-in-the-middle-of-the-day, honest-to-god mental breakdown. I still can’t believe it happened. But I’m glad it did. (Thanks to the legends at Howatson+Company and Elaine Li for helping me during this super fun roller coaster.)
I Truly Understand, Empathize and Recognize your story. Thank you for your courageous transparency. Know that you have named and claimed, not just for yourself, what soooo many(including myself)are and have experienced. Especially in the last couple of years. I also know that having named, claimed and faced it you are now in a stronger and better place to deal and manage future challenges. God Bless you. God Keep you. #kudostoyou #mentalheath #prioritizeyourself #healthiswealth
Marketing Director | Creative Director | Brand Strategist
Kudos for sharing! Prolonged stress (especially in creative roles--which is a double combo of work stress and the personal stress we put on ourselves to be great--even when the idea is elusive) can do some amazingly detrimental things to you until your body just cracks from the pressure. Great share and good to hear you have a great support system at home and at work. That kind of understanding in the workplace is rare!