My main Instagram account @HerNameIsGeorgie for years was meant to only document the “good” and the fun times in my life. Any struggles I was going through in my real life were kept private. At that time my purpose for keeping the ugly parts hidden was out of pure embarrassment. I was really convinced that NO ONE but ME was struggling with life and I was so embarrassed to talk to others let alone post what I was going through. But over the years, I saw how wrong I was and I understood I am not alone. So with that, I began speaking out more to people close to me and even became brave enough to make a few posts about my mental health.

With this new-found openness to talk about my mental health issues I eventually realized that no one really cares or maybe just doesn’t have time to care. I’m speaking from my own experiences and what I see from the public’s reaction to news of different celebrity suicides.

I noticed that when talking to some friends about my issues whether in real life or on social media, I’ll get a general acknowledgement that they “hear me” or just a “like” on a social media post. There’s no real interaction or conversation or compassion or concern for my well being from my friends, not in the same way that I give to them. In my case, because I know the intricacies of my relationships, this just probably means I need new friends.

But in general as I grow and heal I have to understand that everyone has their own lives and issues they are trying to heal so they don’t have time to help you heal. This applies to the news we watch and hear about celebrities and people around the world. While it’s important to stay compassionate and empathetic about world and societal happenings, it’s even more important to be that way toward your own health first.