You Are Worth It!

Do any of you remember Orkut? It was social media platform that launched in 2004 and shut down only a decade later, so I won’t hold it against you if you don’t remember it. In fact, the most popular population to use it were Brazilians. (p. 192)

Orkut’s ultimate demise came from issues revolving around its functionality. (p. 193) Problems such as friend limits and photo sharing quality inhibited the user experience. The platform simply wasn’t flexible enough to meet consumer needs. Was the issue the software itself? Was the issue because the developers chose not to update those features for some reason? Or was it because they didn’t know it was an issue until it was too late?

Orkut’s problem relates very much to our lives. How flexible are we? Do we have software (mental health) issues that are difficult to fix, that is if they can be fixed at all? Are we not open enough to take other points of view into consideration? Do we even realize we have a problem? Perhaps we realize but are too embarrassed to address it or think it’s too late to change.

These are the things I want to address. I could easily go into the current political and economic situation with this line of thinking, but I would rather not go down that rabbit hole. Instead, let’s look at the micro-level and concentrate on the individual – ourselves.

I have talked about mental health before, and it’s no secret I am a strong proponent for the issue. I deal with the effects of it on a regular basis, whether it is me, my children, my extended family, or friends and acquaintances. Our software – our brain’s mental health – only has a certain amount of ability to extend beyond its current programing. You can’t expect a person with Downs Syndrome to become a nuclear physicist. It is simply beyond their capacity. However, that is not necessarily the case with many circumstances. I have known those who use their mental health as a vehicle to gain things or as an excuse for why they can’t be expected to be held to a higher level of control.

Someone prone to depression and anxiety has the ability to rise above it, but it takes a lot of hard work, sometimes medication, counseling, and will power. That said, the pendulum always swings from amazing to down periods for which interventions are necessary. There are always exceptions, but the majority of those who experience it have a higher capacity then they realize. That majority includes me. It takes daily maintenance.

Down periods require a great deal of flexibility. We need to be able to recognize the signs and listen to our needs. Orcut lacked longevity due to a lack of flexibility. We have the potential for a great deal of flexibility within our own limits.

I remember the period after my husband passed away, I really needed someone to advocate for me to help me get the help I needed. I should have been on disability. I should have been in therapy immediately. I couldn’t do it myself – I simply didn’t have it in me to get any of it done. My husband had been my advocate, and he was gone. There was no way I could have anticipated his loss and set up a new advocate. Having a team is necessary.

The moral of the story? Be gentle with yourself. Listen to yourself and your needs. Create and follow through with intervention plans. Build a team who can help you monitor your needs. Advocate for yourself whenever possible. You are worth it.