- Maci Bookout witnessed a shooting at a gas station while filming for MTV.
- She struggled with anxiety and flashbacks until she decided to focus on healing.
- She has been talking about mental health with her three children, who are 13, 7 and 6 years old.
“I’m definitely way ahead of where I was two years ago,” Maci Bookout told Insider. In 2020, while filming season 9 of “Teen Mom OGBookout witnessed a shooting at a gas station. In later episodes, she discussed experiencing the ongoing effects of trauma, including being hypervigilant and easily startled by loud noises like popping balloons.
After fighting with anxiety and flashbacks of the incident, Bookout realized that he needed to face his emotions head-on and work through them instead of “just acknowledging them and hoping they would get better,” he said. To truly heal, she needed to become a priority in his daily life.
Bookout’s advice to anyone dealing with trauma is to “be patient with yourself. Don’t rush or force anything. And don’t be afraid to sit with your feelings and create a safe space within yourself.”
Get to a better place mentally and emotionally
Having the support of his family and friends has helped Bookout move forward since the shooting. Other times, she prefers to work out her feelings on her own, explaining that sometimes it’s the only way to “really learn about yourself and how she wants to handle things.”
“I don’t always need other people around me to know what I’m going through because it’s something I have to figure out,” she said, adding that this might feel like giving yourself 30 minutes a day to be alone with her. thoughts and reflect on how you feel.
“At the end of 30 minutes, you might walk away feeling like I don’t have any answers and I’m in the same place I was when I first sat down,” he said. “But I think unconsciously, you sort things out and let some toxins out when you give yourself a little bit of space and time.”
Talking to kids about mental health
“I don’t think there’s a time too early for people to talk to their kids about mental health and share their own experiences or struggles,” Bookout said. “I feel like it creates an open and safe dialogue with your kids.”
Conversations about mental health started with her 13-year-old son, Bentley, when he was in first or second grade. Sometimes Bentley would bring up things that had happened at school or conversations he had had with friends.
“He’s not a kid anymore. Really, he’s in the trenches right now,” he said, reflecting on what it’s like for Bentley, who is currently in high school and thinking ahead to high school.
With her youngest children, Jayde, 7, and Maverick, 6, talking about mental health started even earlier. “Jayde and Maverick are usually part of the conversation or at least in the car with us or in the same room, so it’s naturally integrated into parenting because of the conversations we have with Bentley,” Bookout said.
Know when to disconnect from social media
For anyone facing bullying or harassment online, Bookout recommended unplugging, at least for a while. He acknowledged that unplugging isn’t possible for everyone, especially if they make a living through social media.
If going offline isn’t an option, Bookout suggested changing your social media settings and blocking or filtering specific words or phrases you find vulgar or offensive. In addition to unplugging from negative comments, she talked about making sure she’s connecting with the right people online.
“Start following people on social media who love themselves and empower you,” Bookout said. “The truest form of human empowerment is watching someone be happy with themselves, but at the same time, they want to take you with them.”
Speak publicly about healing.
Perhaps the only downside to being open about mental health is the vulnerability it takes to share your struggles publicly. “It’s scary to talk about it for everyone to see and judge and for them to talk about it,” Bookout said.
“When I sign up to do the show, year after year, it’s very much with the intention of being authentic and sharing my true self and my struggles and showing myself as me, whether it’s a good season of life or a difficult season. of life.” she said.
What has helped her stay true to herself is prioritizing her mental health. She does not read the tabloids and comments on social networks. “I am a very stubborn person and have always prided myself on my ability to know when to worry and when not to,” she said.
Her hope is that by sharing her story, other people will relate to her and feel less alone about what they are going through. “It’s kind of how you survive living your life for everyone to see all the time,” Bookout said.
Nandini Maharaj is a freelance writer who covers health, wellness, identity, and relationship topics. She has a master’s degree in counseling and a Ph.D. in public health.
