I'm getting personal. (And no, this isn't a self-promotional selfie.)

It's World Mental Health Day today.

I don't usually share about these celebratory dates that keep showing up in the calendar. But this one feels personal. It also feels responsible to speak up and share. You never know who might be needing it.

So. First, I want to dedicate a moment to honour the journey of every single human being who has endured the crippling paws of mental health and beyond. It's still a huge stigma, and we must keep working for it to become a natural thing to talk about.

I'm no stranger to mental health issues. I've seen it in my patients, in my colleagues, in my family, in my friends and of course, in myself.

This is a picture of me taken in 2017, during a most challenging time. Except I didn't know it then. I knew something was wrong, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was. It was just a big fog in my head.

Talking about this fog felt like a million knives in my throat, like an elephant’s foot on my chest. Yeah, I looked happy somehow, thriving even, working away. But in reality I was clueless, confused and hopeless - yet surrounded by love. Love so strong that it kept me going. It kept me breathing when all I wanted was to drown.

Only after a long time was I able to realise that I was dealing with a long period of burnout.

This picture is the face of chronic and complex PTSD. (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.)

This has been a part of my story. Which is only one in a sea of stories, as we all struggle with mental health at least once in a lifetime, whether we can recognise it or not.

Let's take this date as a reminder to take good care of ourselves, of those who we love, and even those who we know nothing about. Strangers and beloved ones alike. Always be kind. Always ask, never assume. Be compassionate, even when it's difficult to understand someone else's experience. You never know how your words or a simple gesture can turn someone's day or life around.

Be light.

Be hope.

Be understanding.

Be love.