Mental Health: Advice from the Cosmic Unicorn with the Psychology Masters!

 Disclaimer: The advice in this column is meant to help educate, not to diagnose. A mental health diagnosis should be given by a licensed medical professional. The advice offered here is to help you better understand mental health conditions that you might struggle with and better equip you for the discussion that needs to take place with your care provider. The author's of this column and From on top of the Hoard make no claims to be licensed as medical professionals nor accept liability for how you as the reader attempt to apply the knowledge you gain from this column and its associated articles. FototH highly encourages you to seek out medical care from a licensed medical care provider in your area. If you find yourself in a medical emergency or mental health crisis, please contact 911 in the USA or your equivalent in your country. 

This week’s mental health article from your semi-friendly neighborhood unicorn. 

 

This week marks the beginning of a new series on mental health—something we still don’t talk about nearly enough. Despite how common these struggles are, stigma lingers. Too often, people who reach out for support are labeled as “weak” or “broken.” In reality, it takes tremendous strength to ask for help. The kind of strength that looks a lot more like courage than defeat. 

Even in NA and AA, the very first step toward healing is acknowledging you can’t do it alone. Mental health is no different. You’re not admitting you’re “the problem”—you’re acknowledging that being human sometimes requires support. That is not a flaw. That is resilience. 

I’ve been the person others confided in for as long as I can remember. Eventually, that path led me into psychology, and today I hold a master’s degree in forensic psychology. And even with all that training, I’ve sought help myself many times. Sometimes you need someone who will simply listen. Sometimes you need perspective, guidance, or a space to say all the things out loud that you’ve secretly been carrying all alone. Therapy isn’t always about diagnoses or medication. Often, it’s about connection, clarity, and relief. 

Your background doesn’t make you more or less deserving of support. It doesn’t determine whether you “should” or “shouldn’t” have a diagnosis. And receiving a diagnosis doesn’t mean you’re destined to struggle forever. Healing can look like recovery, management, growth, or simply learning new ways to navigate your life. Some days will feel light; others will feel heavy. Neither means you’re failing. Both mean you’re moving forward. 

People heal at different paces. Some benefit from a few months of therapy; others need long-term support. Some use medication; others don’t. No two people—and no two experiences—are the same. If you and a friend share a diagnosis but need different types of help, that doesn’t make one of you stronger or weaker. It just means you’re different humans with different needs. 

In this series, each article will focus on a specific mental health diagnosis. We’ll explore common symptoms, review the clinical definition, look at treatment options, and highlight current research. I’ll also include questions you can bring to your doctor, nurse, or therapist if you think you might be experiencing something similar. 

Most importantly: never be afraid to ask for help. There is always someone willing to listen. Find those people—the ones who show up, who care, who stay—and hold onto them.