Mental Health Tings:
Documenting Experiences
with Mental Illness
& Neuro-Divergence
6 Ways to Battle the Birthday Blues
There is a chapter in my ongoing memoir where I share a handful of my more disappointing birthday stories, of which there are many. Last year was a particularly tumultuous time for me as my birthday trip was derailed continuously. This year brought its fair share of disappointment. The birthday blues may just be an inevitable part of life for me, but I have found a few proven methods to combat them.
Eating From Abundance this Holiday Season
From time to time I catch myself operating from the subconscious fear there will not be food as a result of an adolescence where I was punished for eating without permission and lived in constant fear of losing access to my food supply. As we approach our yearly season of feasting again, it’s important to remember why we come together.
Living with OCD: A Diagnosis Isn’t the End
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a common disorder, impacting approximately 1 in 40 adults; however, this disorder is still massively misunderstood.
The Insomnia Speed Bump
As I now know, insomnia is truly a learned fear of NOT sleeping. It’s not that you can’t sleep. Remember that sleep is passive. It’s that you are so fearful of NOT being able to sleep that your brain goes into hyperarousal which prevents you from sleeping. Essentially, it’s a fear of being awake.
My Hobbies and Creativity Are Saving My Life
One of the supposed perks to being Bipolar is being creative. I decided to combat depression by actually spending time on cultivating hobbies and what I discovered is that life is more enjoyable when you make the effort to enjoy it.
Overcoming Agoraphobia Anxiety Disorder: My Success Story
At the age of 21, I survived a dreadful bank robbery incident and subsequently felt like I neither wanted to get out of my house nor venture into places I wasn’t familiar with. Little did I know that, for more than a year, I would experience intermittent terrible feelings of nausea, abnormal heartbeats, choking sensations, profuse sweating, dizziness, and breathlessness whenever I left my house.
Healing My Inner Child- Reparenting Myself at 30
Watching my friend’s children get to experience true childhood has opened my eyes to what I was deprived of.
When people started talking about inner child healing on social media, it was mostly limited to eating the treats you want and wearing bright clothing. I learned that those activities barely scratched the surface.
Motherhood w/ OCD-What it Looks Like & What Helps
Having OCD makes me feel hyper-responsible for everything in my life. Looking after a newborn felt like a terrifying and overwhelming task.Regardless, I feel proud that I didn't let having OCD dictate such a big life decision and that’s why I wanted to share my advice with other parents and carers.
Life Lessons From Funerals: Learning Contentment
I’ll never forget that he said Mrs. Taylor’s greatest quality was that she knew she had purpose and carried herself with the confidence of someone who knew that she added value to every encounter she had, every room she stepped in and any situation she made better just by being present.
Radically Accepting Life- One Day at a Time
After reading the book Positive Intelligence by Shirzad Chamine, I’ve learned the DBT skill of radical acceptance to lessen my suicidal thoughts.
How to Crush Your Goals- Despite Depression
I was beginning to struggle with being productive. My goals for the year were not going as smoothly as I had envisioned. I was locked in my own world, willing the year to end fast because I felt I needed a new start. But I realised I didn’t have to wait for the year to end, so I started immediately.
My 20 Somethings Didn’t Kill Me
When I was once again in the depths of agony last September, I carted myself off to the hospital because I absolutely had to make it to my 30th birthday.
How Vipassana Meditation Helped me to Manage Psychosis
Meditation, exercise and self acceptance helped me to cope with my depression and psychosis. Vipassana helped me learn that my body is important, my mind is important, and my sensations are acceptable. I realised hallucinations might occur, but I have to accept it.
Underdiagnosed and Overstressed
Gender plays a huge role in the diagnosis and support of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and ADHD. Current research suggests that the prevalence of ADHD in young AMAB individuals is 2–2.5 times higher than its prevalence in young AFAB individuals. People socialized as women are also taught to suppress “undesirable” behavior to a greater degree. Institutions need to do better in representing all genders in their research.
Stuck In A Daydream: Learning To Battle Dissociation With Presence
Life gains meaning through the connections we have to our identity, our relationships and the world around us. What is life without being present and feeling? As someone who struggles with a dissociation disorder, I’ve experienced moments of feeling as if I’m floating through life and often feel out of touch and detached to my reality and identity.
That Strange Sadness: The Morning After a Suicide Attempt
Waking up from a suicide attempt is a peculiar feeling and is one that ultimately only 6% of people will ever experience. My attempt was not a cry for help. I don’t believe that such things exist. A person who attempts might regret the decision instantly but in the second that they actually make it, they mean it.
Living in the Aftermath of Suicide
Losing someone you love to suicide changes you, and you look back at every conversation you’ve had with that person and see everything as a sign and wonder how you could have missed them.
How Daily Dance Breaks Soothe My Sexual Anxiety
Rachel Harmon talks about how her daily dance breaks helped her to get in tune with her body and ease her sexual anxiety.
My Journey Through Perinatal Depression
If I could describe my pregnancy and the early years of motherhood in one word, it would be grief.
6 Methods to Help Navigate Grief
Grief is a powerful and complex emotion that can affect our mental health in many ways. It is a normal response to loss, but the process of coping with grief is different for everyone. Today we will explore the ways in which grief affects our mental health