Mental Health Tings:
Documenting Experiences
with Mental Illness
& Neuro-Divergence
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.
Getting Professional Help: A How-to Guide
Finding professional help can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.
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.
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?