Melansey F.

Photography by Jalencia Pouge

If you’re reading this, healing isn’t linear.

I As the idea of healing and growing becomes popular in our generation, it is extremely important to recognize the highs and lows that healing encompasses.

Now that mental health is becoming more normalized, many people take to social media to document their healing journeys and I have found them to be unreliable. Strictly looking at many mental health awareness posts that can be found on social media, you might assume healing is the process of forever moving forward, one day just “getting over” what happened and never looking back. Honestly, this is what I imagined it to be as well.

After healing from a few things of my own, I’ve come to learn that healing will never be linear. You’ll have amazing days and you’ll have terrible ones. While the bad ones can be tough, never be discouraged. Allow yourself to feel the sadness, anger, and hurt. Ignoring these emotions isn’t healing and does the opposite for your mental health. Giving yourself the grace and love to feel such strong emotions is the epitome of healing, and makes your journey much more special.  

Melansey F., University of South Carolina

Connect With Us

To follow IfYoureReadingThis at UofSC on Instagram, get in touch with our chapter, and learn about more resources available to UofSC students, visit our chapter’s homepage.