Mental Health Isn’t a Choice—But Healing Can Be
Mental health takes center stage in this inspiring episode of Rosabel Unscripted featuring therapist, coach, and titleholder Megan Wells, also known as Mrs. Arkansas USA ICON 2025. Megan shares her raw and courageous journey through eating disorders, misdiagnosis, and self-discovery. Her story begins on what she calls her “dark day,” a pivotal moment that nearly ended her life but ultimately became the catalyst for transformation.
She reminds us that mental illness is not a choice—no one walks into a clinic and says, “I’ll take anxiety and borderline personality disorder today.” But healing, she emphasizes, is a decision. And it’s one we have the power to make every day.
The Power of Vulnerability in Mental Health Advocacy
For Megan, wearing the crown is not about perfection—it's about amplifying the truth about mental health. “A title is just a microphone,” she says. Her candid storytelling is part of a mission to de-stigmatize therapy, self-harm, and depression, especially among young people and professionals. Her message? You don’t need to have it all together to be worthy of help—or to help others.
Mental Health Support Starts with Presence, Not Advice
One of the most profound lessons from this episode is the importance of simply being present for someone who is suffering. Megan offers a moving analogy: imagine a person trapped in a pothole. They don’t need you to shout advice from the sidelines. They need you to sit with them, offer tools, or hold the ladder. Support, she says, is about presence—not fixing.
How Therapists Can Lead With Lived Experience
Megan’s decision to become a therapist was born from her own recovery. “The therapists that helped me saved my life,” she shares. That empathy now informs how she guides her clients, integrating personal experience with clinical training. As a practitioner, she rejects the passive “head-nodding” approach and opts instead for directness, clarity, and heart.
Rethinking Stigma and the Role of Culture
From Catholic teachings to workplace norms, Megan and Rosabel delve into how stigma around mental health is perpetuated by culture. Megan points out how phrases like “you have no reason to be sad” invalidate deep emotional pain and delay healing. Rosabel echoes this, sharing her personal experience as a suicide-loss survivor in Colombia—a culture that often shrouds mental illness in shame.
“We all walk out of childhood with something,” Megan says. “Even the best parents can’t meet every need perfectly.” The goal is not blame—but healing.
3 Reasons to Heal: Megan’s Mental Health Framework
In treatment, Megan was taught to name three reasons to heal. Hers were motherhood, integrity, and connection. She now shares that framework widely, reminding others that purpose is the antidote to hopelessness. This framework is also the foundation of her “Hope for Mental Health” program—an acronym for Help, Optimism, Purpose, and Empowerment.
To explore her free resources and “Mental Reset Monday” tools, visit @theMeganWells on Instagram.
Self-Care is Not a Luxury—It’s a Lifeline
From journaling to yoga to fidget tools, Megan and Rosabel explore everyday mental health practices that truly work. “Self-care is like vegetables,” Megan jokes. “You may not want it—but do it anyway.” Rosabel adds that caregiver burnout—especially in dementia care—makes self-care non-negotiable. Together, they advocate for a culture that normalizes crying, rest, and asking for help.
Interested in related tools for caregivers? Explore Rosabel’s dementia care guide.
Final Thoughts: Everyone Deserves Help
“You're not alone,” Megan tells listeners. Whether you’re in your own dark day or supporting someone who is, there is always hope. Asking for help is not weakness—it’s courage in action. And healing? It’s the most rebellious, powerful choice we can make.
If this episode moved you, please read more on Rosabel’s blog and listen to more episodes of the Rosabel Unscripted Podcast.
Need support? Call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 (U.S. only).
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