Thank you to everyone who answered the survey – the thoughts and advice are tremendous. To ensure anonymity I haven’t linked to bloggers who responded, but please email me (anxietyadventures@gmail.com) if you’d like me to link you – I’m more than happy to do so!
I split the answers into three parts to prevent an ridiculous long post. See parts one and two here.
What advice would you give to others struggling with mental health issues?
- Go to a doctor, take your medicine, find something that conforts you such as a blanket, a beverage, a stuffed animal, your car, whatever it is. Be honest about it with the people you are close to, they can probably help
- It’s going to be hard to overcome your issues but it is possible. If you want it then you’ll get it. Move at your own pace and set realistic standards/goals for yourself. Recovery is what you want it to be!
- There are dark days and there are good days. Just keep going.
A lot more people suffer than you think. Often times no one knows you better than yourself, especially important to keep in mind when doing treatment. There is a spectrum and a lot of overlap in Mental health issues.
- Establish a good routine of applying your coping strategies. They are not just for the hard times. Your routine/s will fall over a little, when you are at your worst. But if well established, enough of it will remain to still give you some much needed additional support until it passes. And it will pass.
- Find others who understand. It’s hard. I haven’t even really done it and I’ve been suffering for fifteen years. But if you can find others who share what you are feeling, it is the biggest help. Also, take drugs if you need drugs. Don’t shy away because you’re scared of the stigma. The side effects can suck, but usually if it’s bad enough that you need drugs, it’s worth it.
That Socially Anxious Atheist Paranoid Gay
/ February 27, 2013Hi, thank you for sharing these 3 posts. I’m not very good at responding to these forms, many of these ideas seem very sensible however.
anxietyadventures
/ February 28, 2013Good – I hope at least some are helpful!
drgeraldstein
/ February 27, 2013As a therapist, I’d like to add just a couple of thing: 1. Life is not a state of unalloyed happiness for anyone. Ups and downs are part of what is normal. 2. To the extent that you set yourself a goal that is especially difficult — say becoming an Olympic champion — you are almost guaranteeing unhappiness. Be realistic in knowing yourself and your abilities. 3. The ancient philosophers and the modern psychologists tell us the same thing: friends are crucial to “the good life.”
anxietyadventures
/ February 28, 2013These are great. I appreciate your insight!