About Jeremy Whitney
Jeremy Whitney (he/him) is a videographer based in Southern California, who's addicted to the ocean. When he’s not working with his camera, he’s spending time with his wife and dogs who are his world.
Can you share a bit about your journey with therapy? What led you to take that first step, and what were those early sessions like for you?
You could argue therapy saved my life. My journey with therapy started when I was having constant thoughts of suicidal ideation. What lead me to take the first step was when I planned out how I would actually unalive myself. Everything became real I told my family and decided to get help immediately. The earlier sessions were hard, but incredibly insightful. One of the best lessons I learned early on was that therapy, medication, etc. could help me get my life back.
When it comes to men’s mental health, what do you think are the biggest barriers preventing men from seeking help? Did you face any of those barriers yourself?
I think the biggest barrier for men’s mental health is the stigma that men have to "be strong" and that showing feelings are a weakness. I didn’t know it then, but this stigma (that’s been engrained in most societies) definitely had an effect on how quickly I sought help. I was under the impression that I could “fix” myself, and that couldn’t have been further from the truth.
What emotions came up for you during your time in therapy, and were there any that surprised you? How did you learn to navigate those feelings?
All of them? But more specifically feelings of sadness, apathy, shame, and overwhelm. Also thinking that I’m not enough and being self-conscious and anxious. All of them really surprised me, because I don’t remember ever really struggling with mental health when I was younger. When I was younger, I think I played a lot of sports and stayed busy to prevent those tougher symptoms from rising to the surface.
As an adult, I have learned to navigate my feelings by understanding that I am not my thoughts or emotions. One thing my psychiatrist taught me was to think of myself as a mountain. No matter what “weather” happens, the mountain remains.
What role do you think community and open dialogue play in supporting men’s mental health? Did you find support outside of therapy?
I think community and open dialogue are imperative to changing the stigma with men’s mental health. Understanding you’re not alone with your struggles is incredibly impactful. You’d be surprised how often men say they struggle with similar situations, after I open up and tell them my story. I’m very lucky to have such an amazing support network. I have friends, a loving wife, and my immediate family, who have been very supportive in my recovery.
If you could change one thing about the way mental health care is offered to men, what would it be?
The main thing I would want to change for everyone is the process of actually finding a therapist, because it inherently adds more anxiety to what is a sensitive, stressful time. Mental health care in general is already so difficult to receive, and the difficulties of finding a therapist can be a deterrent for many. When I was first looking for a therapist, I reached out to countless practitioners and I rarely heard back.
Looking back, what are you most proud of in your mental health journey, and how do you continue to prioritize it today?
I’m most proud of the fact that I’m still here and thriving. Having a routine that allows me to maintain and also progress is very important. I’ve found that exercise, spending time with people I love, therapy, doing things that make me happy, meditating, and journaling are a few things I do to continue my journey.
