After a few hard days, my mind keeps drifting to the depression and anxiety surveys you are required to fill out after having a baby or when at a new doctors office. Trust me, as a counselor, I understand the importance of those surveys, but I just wonder how honest people can be on them. I know the point of them is to open the door to conversations and they are not the end all be all for answers. So where my mind has gone with that thought train is–is it hard to be honest on them because that would mean admitting faults of your own? Or because being honest means hurting someone you care about? Like maybe admitting yes on there feels like putting a target on someone who you love. Yet marking yes means they are contributing to your pain. Or maybe it is hard because it is the start to admitting to yourself that you need help. Admitting that you need help always seems like you’re opening yourself up to a label. You’re broken. You’re damaged. But you’re not. Admitting you need help is the biggest step of strength. As humans, our bodies may be deficient in something. Maybe the cards you were dealt as a kid were extra hard. Maybe life has been difficult lately. Whatever the reason, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you and nothing wrong with needing help. You’re also not a bad guy if seeking help means you have to state a few hard truths about people you love. That is the first step towards healthy boundaries and communication. That was a lot. Some heavy stuff for a Monday. Who knew a simple action of circling yes or no could hold so much weight. So if you’ve been there or find yourself there one day hesitating between the yes and the no and the level of honest you want to be… I believe in you. I am proud of you. Taking care of yourself is not selfish and your life is more important than any label anyone can give you. Labels come and go. You cannot.