Shannon Martin 0:01

Hello , beautiful Welcome to today's conversation . Where we're going to talk about how my children's intervention helped me break the stigma I had about mental illness , which helped me have a conversation with myself , making the final decision to begin my path to mental wellness . I hope my story will inspire you to do the same . I am your host , Shannon Martin , and welcome to today's episode of this Thing Called Called Wellness . Getting past the stigma . The day my family chose to do an intervention was the turning point in my life . It was the day I changed my ideas about what it meant to have a mental illness , what I was thinking , what I had been told and how I felt about getting help .

Shannon Martin 1:01

One day during the summer , I noticed my kids doing something strange . They were all hanging around my door , all three of them . It was summer break y'all , and my sons were true gamers . My daughter , on the other hand , she was an early rising . That's just how she rolled and I thought it was just very strange for them to just be hanging around my door . Why weren't they gaming or why weren't they at school , or at work . They were looking at their cell phones in a little huddle outside my room , but I didn't give it much thought . I thought they were just looking at a video or doing sibling stuff .

Shannon Martin 1:40

I had just finished my usual rounds of waking up , going to the bathroom , getting a snack , getting a sandwich and grabbing everything I needed , so I didn't have to leave my room again for a while . At this time I was still feeling very exhausted , so I collected my things and went back to my room to finish eating . I was about to go back to sleep when I realized my kids were looking at me . They were in my room standing at the foot of my bed , and I asked hey , mom , how are you feeling ? I said oh , I'm just a little tired , but I'm fine . They said Well , you shouldn't be tired because you've been sleeping for 17 hours . I kid you not . I sat back up like a zombie and said that's not possible . There's only 24 hours in a day . Now I knew what they were doing outside my room . Concerns of my children . I didn't know that they were taking turns , taking notes about everything I did on their cell phones , how long I did it , when I did it and how long I slept . They came right out and said Mom , this is what you've been doing for however long you've been doing it . I just sat there with my mouth open . How can this be ? I am really sleeping my life away . And it was right there in black and white .

Shannon Martin 3:03

My sons watched what I did at night and my daughter watched what I did during the day . When they had enough evidence , they decided it was time to intervene . So all three of my little cubs sat on the bed and talked to me for more than an hour making sure I didn't fall back to sleep . They sat with me and asked me what I was going to do . They told me they had been watching me . As I could see , and was concerned and wanted to know what I was going to do because they missed their mom .

Shannon Martin 3:38

The strength of a family , like the strength of an army , lies in its loyalty to each other . Mario Puzo . Discussion within . After we finished our conversation , my husband came in and sat on the edge of the bed , just like the kids did . I knew the kids had gone down and talked to their dad . He said well , the kids are worried , and so am I . They beat me to the punch and spoke to you before I could . I thought you'd get better on your own , but I can see that's not happening . He said I don't know how to help you , babe , and it bothers me . All I can do is pray for you and do my best to keep the house running , but I have to ask you to get some help . If you don't go on your own , I will have to step in . And this is me stepping in . And , on the other hand , it meant he was going to have to talk to my mom which I later found out he already had done so because she too was worried . They were going to find a facility where I could get help .

Shannon Martin 4:49

This is when I realized how bad I was , and that night I had a conversation with myself . I asked God to help me figure out what I needed to do . I know that I didn't fully try medication and because of the stigma , I didn't even think about treatment . This time I just asked what should I do , and I waited . After crying , praying and sleeping on it , I made the decision that I had to do this for myself . This was the path I had to take , my path towards feeling better . No one else was suffering . They weren't in the bed , not spending time with their children or husbands dealing with this crippling illness that no one understood or was trying to understand , other than the fact that you must be crazy if you have depression or anxiety , need medication or counseling . I had to stop listening to other people and start thinking about myself . I had to choose me . That day , I made the decision to try . I wanted to thrive . mindful moment . Today we talked about how I had to make a difficult decision Before I could see how bad my situation was . My children had taken the first steps for me . I was headed down a dark path that I may not have recovered from . My loved ones saw the storm and came in to help me pull out of it .

Shannon Martin 6:19

If this happens to you , I pray that you have loved ones who will step in and pull you out of the storm . Take your time to think about your mental state and which steps you should take . If you believe in a higher power , pray . If you meditate , meditate . If you need to make a list of pros and cons , create one . You make the decision for yourself . No one is living your life and no one else is hurting , but you Choose yourself and remember to take each day as it comes . The most important thing is to make the decision to start . I hope you have enjoyed this week's conversation . I am your host , shannon Morton . Join us next Wednesday when we talk about seeking help , therapy and medication . If you enjoyed today's conversation , please share with someone you think would like to join us . Disclaimer I am not a licensed mental health professional . The information provided here is for general informational purposes only . It should not be considered a substitute for professional mental health advice , diagnosis or treatment . If you need help , please consult a qualified mental health professional .