Publications
Partners
We could all use a little help every now and then, whether it’s with parenting, in our relationships, or in life. But asking for help is easier said than done.
For the most part people avoid it because they’re afraid of looking weak or inadequate in front of family and friends, but if we don’t ask for help we tend to sink deeper and deeper before our depression and anxiety becomes all-consuming, threatening so much more than just our image.
In an interview with Carson Daly for NBC News, singer, wife and mother Pink reminds us of the importance of asking for help.
TOMORROW: @Pink discusses mental health issues with @CarsonDaly: "I think talking about it is the most important thing."
— NBC News PR (@NBCNewsPR) April 25, 2019
For more of Daly's interview tune in tomorrow to @TODAYshow. pic.twitter.com/ooN3Dxkv24
Also read: P!nk just reminded us of the number one social media rule all SA parents must know
Also see: WATCH: What research has to say about maintaining a happy marriage
“Young people out there have really been struggling. And they’ve been struggling silently,” says Daly before asking the singer about her thoughts on mental health.
“I’m hoping that the taboo of it all is going away because more and more people are talking about it. I think talking about it is the most important thing,” she begins, speaking specifically about anxiety.
“I’ve been depressed. I have anxiety. I overthink everything,” she says about her own struggles. But she continues on the importance of opening up, “But what I do is, I keep the right people around me and I go to therapy.”
Also read: Young people are more anxious than ever – and they don’t even know it
On her marriage, she gets candid. “Carey and I have been in couples counselling almost our entire 17 years that we’ve been together.
“It’s the only reason that we’re still together.”
She explains, “Because he speaks Polish, I speak Italian and she [Willow] speaks both, we don’t speak the same language. We come from broken families and we had no model of how we’re supposed to keep this family together and live this crazy life. There’s no book that says, ‘Here’s how to do this’.
“So we go to counselling and it works.”
Also read: The Beckhams will be celebrating 20 years of marriage this year
While we’re hopeful that the taboo of opening up and asking for help is going away, truth is, there seems to still be a stigma surrounding it. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that half of all mental illnesses begin as early as the age of 14, but most cases go undetected and untreated.
With that, it’s clear that we need to open up more about the challenges we may be facing, and to let others know it’s okay for them to speak up.
So if you’re feeling anxious and depressed, turn to a friend.
If you’re struggling to make it from one kid’s school to the next, ask for help.
If you’re battling to see eye-to-eye with your partner, go see a counsellor.
And if you see someone who could use a shoulder to cry on, offer them yours.
Let’s destigmatise the idea of asking for help once and for all.
Chat back:
Have you and your husband gone to couples counselling? How has it helped you and your family? Tell us your story and we may publish it. Do let us know if you'd like to remain anonymous.
