What is the Laughstyle About?

Bring Awareness to Mental Health

I have struggled with my mental well-being since I was a child. Literally, can remember being 5 or 6 and hating my life. I don’t recall a time where I didn’t have anxiety or that I wasn’t depressed. I have been diagnosed with other disorders but I don’t feel like those define me. I feel like it helped the people around me to have a diagnosis to help them make sense of it all. But I think it just put blame on the disease and not the actuality of what my brain and pain that I was actually feeling.

But Why LAUGHstyle?

Have you ever seen someone happy and go lucky and you think, “there is no way that person struggles with mental health in a dark way?” That’s me.

I have learned to mask my depression. I have learned that when I need to cry that I should make an excuse to go to the store so I can cry in my car. I do this so people don’t have to look at me like, “now what?”

Then, I stop crying. I walk in with the milk. And I show that I am happy.

Am I happy? Sometimes. I can find things throughout the day that brings a smile on my face. But, it’s taken practice. I wear a mask most of the time to make things easier for others, which is fine. I just do not want to hide anymore. I want to bring awareness to mental health. I want to laugh freely and enjoy my life like I see some of my friends do. Like, what is this freedom of not caring what other’s think really like? That has to be the most freeing thing of all.

So. Are you only going to talk about mental health from now on?

I don’t let my depression and my anxiety, and whatever else you want to diagnose me with, define me. But, it is a HUGE part of my life that I do want to share with you. I have felt like I have left this mask on for so long that I have finally reached the point of where I need an outlet with other like-minded individuals to talk about it with. I do LOVE to laugh. I love to make the people around me laugh. But I think it’s important for people to know that I struggle and it’s okay if after a good cry I want to laugh things off. Everyone’s journey looks a little different, but at the end of the day I am here for you. I want us to ultimately share, grow, and laugh together. I want people to know that it’s okay if you have to go somewhere quiet to cry, but come back from that moment. Let’s see what’s triggering you and support one another to get better.

Find your outlet. I am going to tell you that I am still in the discovery process of finding my outlet and trying to find things to keep my mindset in a healthy place. So whether I share books with you, quotes that I am repeating throughout a dark period of my time, or healthy diets and mindful workouts with you, I will share it ALL with you. If you laugh with me or you cry with me- we are in this TOGETHER. I will never make anyone feel alone.

And if you feel like I am describing a friend that you do not know what to do to help them- I will help you as well. Because I know from experience that when I get to these dark headspaces and I actually reach out to people- what I would need to hear.

“I love you. What can I do to make you feel supported?”

“I love you. If you want to go get help, I will go with you so you don’t feel alone.”

“I love you. Do you want to go for a walk?”

“I love you. Do you mind if I come over and sit with you?”