Mental Health Tings:
Documenting Experiences
with Mental Illness
& Neuro-Divergence
Bouncing Back from Disappointment
BPD Rage
The Systemic Toll of Psychosis
In college, I moved day to day not knowing I had bipolar disorder. I was diagnosed just weeks after I graduated following a severe breakdown. During that breakdown and further along into my hospitalization at two different psych wards for a total of six weeks I went through extreme psychosis.
Hospitalization
A lot of people find inpatient stays to be very helpful for them. If you are ever afraid that you might be a danger to yourself or others and you want to be proactive about your health, I’d say go for it. I will share how my experience went before sharing some tips to consider if you ever consider an inpatient stay for yourself.
Hypomania:
I was diagnosed with Bipolar 2 back in 2016. Several times I have questioned the validity of this diagnosis and each time my professionals have reminded me that I’ve experienced both hypomania and depressive symptoms. I used to argue with them but after one incident in September 2019 I have come to accept that I do, in fact experience hypomania.
Haunted by PTSD
I used to think, based on media portrayal, that PTSD was limited to panic attacks and flashbacks. Nothing I had ever experienced was that dramatic.
Covid Reflections
I got Covid a few weeks ago, which explains my absence. This experience made me reflect on a couple things, the first being how grateful I am for the people in my life.The second reflection I had was born from my physical suffering.
Managing Relationships in Depression
I was depressed, and as such, all I could see in front of me was my own pain. I was consumed with it; it was a lens through which I viewed the entire world and I couldn’t escape that. The problem was I hadn’t communicated that to my friend and she felt neglected. After explaining the situation, she was able to extend grace to me and I was able to meet her halfway and put more effort into our friendship. Since then, I‘ve compiled a list of tips to get better at maintaining my relationships.
Cycling
I know that recovery is not linear and yet? Every time I start to cycle I feel like a failure which may be why I never want to share when I’m not feeling well.So what to do when I feel like I am spiraling/ cycling into feeling poorly?
Getting Professional Help: A How-to Guide
Finding professional help can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Suicide Prevention Is Better Than Awareness
What does it really mean to “be there for” someone who is fighting against themselves for their own life? To help ensure that you know what you’re getting into when you post such promises, I would like to share some information with you that I learned in the Mental Health First Aid course that I took last November!
Update: Why I’m Still Not Cancelling 2020
There is still so much purpose that I can live out in the midst of this chaos. Despite everything, and there is so much to be encompassed in EVERYTHING, 2020 has still been the best year of my life since 2012.
Good Grief
Cognitive Distortions
Psychcentral.com defines cognitive distortions as “Ways that our mind convinces us of something that isn’t really true. These inaccurate thoughts are usually used to reinforce negative thinking or emotions — telling ourselves things that sound rational and accurate, but really only serve to keep us feeling bad about ourselves.”
Pros and Cons to Mental Illness Medication
One of the first things you’re told when you’re diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder is that you will have to be on medication for the rest of your life. When I heard that I was distraught. It’s a hard pill to swallow, pun intended, and I even bawled my eyes out the first time to do so come. The nurse on duty at the psychiatric hospital I was staying in was very kind and understanding. She told me not to be ashamed. She asked me if I judged people with cancer for having to get chemotherapy and assured me that there was no difference between the two. I would come to hear similar sentiments echoed in the following months.
Repurposing Your Pain
This time last year I had in my possession 3 wedding rings, 2 wedding dresses, 1 engagement ring and no significant other.
Distress Tolerance in the Age of Social Distancing
In case somebody is reading this blog post, years into the future; in March 2020 we are currently experiencing the global pandemic of Covid-19 aka the Coronavirus and as Cardi B put it, in a video that went viral recently, (pardon my/her french) “Shit is real! Shit is getting real!” Not only is this virus risking the health and safety of everyone in densely populated areas, but it is also having some severe economic impacts as we are nearing a country-wide mandated shut-in. The unpleasant emotions are very difficult for all of us to navigate, so here are some of my tried and true, most favorite methods of tolerating distress, based on the emotions I’m feeling.
March 2019: When It Poured
When I think about it, there are so many ways in which my life would still be stuck if I hadn't gone through March 2019. While it rained, it definitely poured, but last year the March showers led to April flowers that led to an entire garden.
Giving Up The Fight
The idea of having to fight my mental illness every day until the day I die is one of the things that triggered my suicidal ideation the most often. What good is living life if you don’t even get to enjoy it because you have to fight to survive?
Accepting My Diagnosis As My Disability
God literally designed my brain to work exactly the way it does. ‘Mentally ill,’ ‘Bipolar’ and ‘Borderline’ are not arbitrary labels I have accepted; they’re not mindsets that I’ve adopted. Bipolar Disorder is a physical disability, comparable to dementia. Yes, it’s happening primarily in my mind but it’s very real. “The brain is an organ that can malfunction like any other.“