Tag: Mental Illness

HOW TO BE A FRIEND TO SOMEONE WITHMENTAL ILLNESS

Published on by Aimee EddyLeave a comment

Friendships are valuable relationships we hold onto strongly. Good friends support us in good and bad times, and we do the same for them. When we feel alone, when we are at our lowest, or when we suffer a loss, a good friend is at our side. When we are happy, when we accomplish something, or when we start new beginnings, our friend celebrates with us.

But how can we be friends with someone who may not be able to give back, who has an illness we don’t understand, and who is negative and sad? How can we be friends with someone who has mental illness?

For many with mental illness, it’s hard to find a friend who will not run from you, use you, or judge you. Friendships are very hard to come by because many do not know how to be a friend to someone who is sick. I was lucky that when I was in the darkest, part of my hole, I had a very good friend who stuck at my side. She knew what to do without me telling her. Not so many are that lucky.

I have a few tips on how to be a good friend to someone struggling with mental illness. Here are my tips:

  • Be willing to listen. A person with mental illness is struggling with thoughts and emotions that are overpowering. He or she often needs to express what is happening inside and all he or she needs from you is for you to listen. Let your friend talk and get his or her feelings out without interruptions.
  • Educate yourself about your friend’s illness. Find out what kind of illness your friend suffers with and research it. If possible, go to a few therapy sessions with him or her. By learning as much as you can about your friend’s illness, you will know how to help him or her better and you will understand some of his or her symptoms. You will also learn what the signs are when he or she is in crisis and needs serious help.
  • Don’t lecture your friend. If your friend is sad and doesn’t know why or if your friend lies in bed all day don’t lecture him or her. He or she doesn’t need lectures for his or her action; instead your friend needs positivity and encouragement. Lectures only make him or her feel more alone and misunderstood, sending him or her deeper into his or her hole.
  • Ask your friend what he or she needs from you. Your friend may have special needs that you’re not aware of, like having someone to just sit with him or her, needing to get out of the house, or needing help with meals. If he or she doesn’t know what he or she needs, then don’t push. Simple things are helpful when a person is struggling with mental illness like a hug, a shoulder to cry on, and a warm smile.
  • Be available when your friend needs support. Part of being a good friend to someone with mental illness is becoming part of his or her support team. By doing this, you must be available for him or her to turn to when he or she is really struggling. If your friend calls you late at night crying or in the middle of the afternoon because he or she feels like giving up, be available. Of course, you can’t be available twenty-four hours a day, but be available as much as you can. Don’t avoid your friend’s calls because you don’t want to bother with him or her. If you can’t handle his or her illness, tell him or her before you commit to being a friend and a part of their support team. It may hurt him or her, but being ignored hurts even more.
  • Be understanding. Your friend might sleep a lot, may say things he or she doesn’t mean, may not be comfortable in social settings, and may not be able to give back to the friendship. Don’t get mad at him or her. Understand that this person is just trying to make it from day to day. If your friend tells you he or she is sad and doesn’t know why, understand it’s part of the illness. If your friend cancels plans or wants to leave a social event, be understanding. If the person doesn’t talk to your other friends or family and only you, be understanding that it is a symptom of his or her illness.
  • Be positive even when your friend is not. Many who struggle with mental illness can only see the worst side of life and the things around them. They need to be reminded that there are still positive things in their lives. When your friend is being negative, remind him or her of the positive things. Don’t tell him or her about negative things in your own life. He or she is unable to handle it unless in recovery.

Being a friend to someone who is struggling with mental illness is not easy, but it is worth it. Cheryl was my friend when I was at my worst, and she was there for me when I could not give back to her. She listened to me cry my eyes out at two a.m. and stayed on the phone until she got me laughing. She pulled me out of the road when I wanted to die. Now that I’m in recovery, I am strong enough to give back to her. Now we are at each other’s sides.

If you can’t handle mental illnesses or you are struggling with your own illness and problems, let your friend know. Let him or her down kindly. It may hurt him or her deeply, but you must take care of yourself. Know your own boundaries before you enter the friendship.

Cheryl and I are soul friends and sisters at heart. Because of her support when I was at my lowest, I am here today to share my story. Now she often uses these blog posts to help me when I am having a hard time. With her help I stay strong in the light of recovery.

A SUICIDE ATTEMPT OR NOT?

Published on by Aimee EddyLeave a comment

     There is a lot of confusion about what self-injury is and why a person injures. Some people mistake self-injury for a suicide attempt. It’s hard to understand why anyone would go to the extent of harming themselves unless the person wants to die, but harming himself has nothing to do with suicide. Self-injury is a coping technique for overwhelming emotions or a way to just feel when you become numb inside. It’s not to say that the person hasn’t struggled with thoughts of taking his or her life, but those thoughts have nothing to do with why the person is harming him or herself.

     At a former job, the manager found out I was deeply depressed, and I was hurting myself on purpose. She became convinced I was attempting to take my life. She called crisis and they showed up to my department. Not only was I embarrassed that crisis came to my workplace and all my fellow employees knew they were there for me, but I had to sit in a conference room and explain to them that I was not attempting to take my life.

     The crisis worker questioned me for a half hour. She asked me why I wanted to die. She asked if I was to go home would I try to take my life again. She wanted to know if I needed to be hospitalized. I tried to explain to her I didn’t want to die, and I was working with a therapist to stop my injuring. I told her the injuring relieved my inner pain and I was not suicidal. After a while she let me go and gave me their number in case, I became suicidal or needed to talk.

     I can’t say I never thought of taking my life while I was sick, but when I injured, my goal was to relieve the immense inner pain that burned within my body. When I thought about suicide, I was in a different frame of mind. I wanted to save my family from the pain I was causing them and I wanted to end my own pain forever. When I hurt myself, I just wanted to relieve my inner agony for just a moment or longer, not forever.

     I even left my former boss a pamphlet on self-injury, but she continued to think self-injury was an attempt at suicide. Because of people like her, I worked hard to hide my self-harming.

     It’s important for us who injure or who have recovered from self-injury to educate others about self-injury. The more we write about it and talk about it, the more educated our loved ones and others around us will become. I write this blog post to reach out to the world and tell them about mental illness and self-injury. It’s important that teachers, managers, crisis workers, doctors, parents, friends and so on one are educated about how to handle self-injury and what self-injury is.

     Step up with me and educate others about self-injury. I believe I struggled with mental illness and self-injury to share my story with all of you. Writing about it is also therapy and keeps me within the light.

YOU ARE WORTHY

Published on by Aimee Eddy2 Comments

When you’re in the deepest part of your hole of depression it is hard to see your own self-worth. It’s easy to lose all your self-esteem. You see yourself as useless, hopeless, and an awful person. It’s nearly impossible to find anything that is good about yourself. The truth is: you are none of the things your sick mind tells you that you are. You are so much more than your illness and the dark lenses you are looking through. You are a worthy, special person.

I know many of you need reassurance that despite the illness that tortures your mind, you are a wonderful person. Below is a list of reasons why you are worthy. Maybe this is the moment you need to read this or maybe you need a reminder to fuel your determination to fight this awful illness. Whatever your reasons are, please read on.

Reasons you are worthy:

  • You are worthy of living. Your life is valuable and even though it doesn’t seem like it You are an important part of this world. You have people who love you. They would be broken-hearted if you were to die. You can get better and make a big difference in people’s lives. You’re important.   
  • You are worthy of happiness.

You might think you’re doomed to a life of sadness, but you’re not. You can reach recovery and live a happy life. You deserve happiness and it’s up to you to strive for it. Don’t be afraid to be happy and to search for happiness.

  • You are worthy of being loved.

You might hate yourself right now and think you don’t deserve love, but you are wrong. Everyone deserves to be loved, even you. Those sad, hopeless, and miserable feelings you have are not you. It’s your illness. The person you are is a beautiful person who is kind, caring, fun and much more. That person is worthy of love.

  • You are worthy of kindness.

You don’t deserve to be called names, to be hurt physically or to be used. You are worthy of people who will care for you, give you a shoulder to lean on, spend time with you and are willing to get to know you.

  • You are worthy of respect.

You don’t deserve to be treated like you are dangerous or a loss cause.
You deserve to be admired for your strength to fight this illness and for the person you are. You are special and are worthy of others’ respect. You deserve to be admired for your strength to fight this illness and for the person you are. You are special and are worthy of others’ respect.

  • You are worthy of recovery.
    You’re not meant to spend your life stuck in deep sadness and emotional pain. You deserve to learn coping techniques, learn new ways of thinking and of finding the right medication that helps you manage your illness. Recovery means managing your illness well enough that you can function and live a happy life and you deserve that.
  • You are worthy of loving yourself.
    Right now, you might hate yourself, but you don’t deserve the self-hatred. That person you are despite your illness is a beautiful person deserving of your love. Fight to find yourself and look inside you. See yourself for the person you are, not the person your illness makes you think of yourself. Inside you is a person craving to be loved by you.

Read through this list every time you feel unworthy.

Remind yourself of how worthy you are, each time you feel like giving up.

Write theses down on index cards and put them in different spots in your home where you’ll remember to read them.

Write each thing out on a piece of paper you are worthy of, if necessary.

Do this until you believe them to be true.

I am worthy of all of these and much more. Knowing this keeps me in the light of recovery.

TIPS ON HANDLING LIFE’S CHALLENGES

Published on by Aimee Eddy2 Comments

Life is very unpredictable. Sickness hits us when we least expect it, and other things seem to go wrong all at once. Our car breaks down, our roof leaks, a friend walks away, or a husband gets hurt. When you’re struggling with mental illness, life’s challenges can worsen your illness. If you’re in recovery or on the road to recovery from mental illness, life’s challenges can threaten to push you down that dark hole.

If you have been following my blog, you know I have faced a lot of health problems and challenges that have tested my ability to stay in the light of recovery. If you’re new to my blog, check out some of my older posts. I developed ways to cope with life’s challenges that I faced. Below are a few tips on how to handle challenges.

  • Allow yourself time to feel. Give yourself time to get sad, cry, scream, and let out your emotions. Holding in your feelings can only send you further into that hole of darkness. Do what you need to get those feelings out even if it means spending a day in bed.
  • Pull yourself together. Don’t let yourself stay stuck in your emotional state of mind. Remind yourself of how strong you are and what it took you to get where you are, whether it would be on the road to recovery or in recovery. Wipe those tears away, get out of bed, get dressed, and remember how strong you are.
  • Focus on the positive. Even though things are tough and seem hopeless, there are positive things. Pull out a piece of paper and write down the positive things in your life like you have a home, you got up that morning, the sun is shining, and you have food. Even the smallest things can be positive. It might be hard to find good things during the hard times, but don’t give up.
  • Turn to coping techniques. What kind of coping techniques did you learn in therapy? Do you do deep breathing, or grounding techniques? Do you have a hobby, do you journal, or do you go for a walk? Whatever coping techniques work for you, use them. If you don’t know of any techniques, then research some on the internet or talk to your therapist.
  • Lean on your support system. Talk or text your friends or family members who are part of your support team. Often, they can give you good advice or guide you to a healthier path. Sometimes it’s just good to have someone listen to you.
  • Push forward. When life hits you hard, it’s easy to give up and go backwards, but remember you’re strong. Stand up tall and push forward. See the hard times as something you can find away around. Be determined that you won’t let the struggles pull you down. You can get through this, and life will get better.
  • Seek help or talk to your therapist. If you find that you can’t get through this difficult time in your life on your own, call your therapist and make an appointment. If you’re in recovery and you no longer have a therapist, find one. There is no shame in seeking help. A therapist will have lots of ways to help you through and can guide you through the challenges that face you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Remember no matter how difficult things can get, you can get through it. Don’t let life’s challenges push you down that dark hole. Your road to recovery or remaining in recovery is too important to risk. Follow these tips or find your own ways to handle life’s challenges.

I have been through numerous illnesses, surgeries, and hard times and through it all I used these tips to keep me in recovery. I face life’s challenges with strength in the light of recovery.

STARTING COLLEGE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS

Published on by Aimee EddyLeave a comment

Mental illness knows no age limits. It can happen to anyone at any age, even to children and teenagers. Some teens receive counseling, and some keep their struggles quiet out of fear. The mental illness doesn’t just weaken after high school especially if it’s untreated. Many young adults experience worsening of their mental illness or the onset of the illness when they start college. They are starting out on their own as adults, they have heavy work loads, long schedules, peer pressure, and a hard time fitting in.

During my senior year of high school, my cousin was killed in a car accident. This sent me deeper into depression. I kept my inner pain to myself and only told one of my friends. My grandparents lived close to the college I planned to attend so I moved in with them. They lived forty-five minutes from my home and my friends. My grandparents were kind people who gave to me endlessly. Grandpa checked my oil, cleaned snow off my car in the winter, and made sure my car was running every morning. Grandma went out of her way to cook my favorite foods, spoil me with love, and refused to let me help around the house. She told me my college work was more important. I was spoiled, yet unhappy.

My cousin’s death left me in great sadness and the only person I thought understood lived miles away. I was used to having my three siblings around and my mom there to help me. Even though my grandparents would have done anything for me, I felt like I had just entered adulthood and had to handle things on my own, including the endless sadness that was engulfing me.

I thought I could handle going to college full-time taking daytime and evening classes. This proved to be overwhelming. I had more homework than I could handle. My learning disability made it impossible for me to keep up with the reading assignments. I’m slower than the average reader, plus I have to reread things to be able to remember them. I stayed up late trying to complete reading assignments, study, and translate lectures I recorded with a small tape recorder into notes. I was stressed out. I was falling behind and that brought up the fear that followed me from high school, the fear I was going to be a failure.

If I wasn’t working late into the night, I would be lying in bed staring into the darkness struggling with endless negative thoughts and worries. Every morning I felt nauseated and forced myself to eat breakfast before going to classes. In between classes I escaped to the bathroom to get sick. On top of my depression, I was home sick and put my deepest feelings in notes to a friend. That ended in a big mess that led to abuse by my friend. I was too sick to see what she was doing to me. I just knew I couldn’t lose any of my friends and I held on too tightly.

In elementary and high school, I self-injured by pulling my hair or punching a wall, but in college I started cutting. I was sick, in pain, fatigue, stressed out and in agony, and I needed to release all those painful feelings. The only way I knew how was to injure myself. I hid my injuries under long sleeve shirts, or I cut further up on my arm that no one could see them. I hurt myself just deep enough to free the emotional pain.

I also began to plan my death. I even wrote out my obituary and suicide note. My grandparents slept downstairs and I had the whole upstairs to myself. They had no idea what I was doing. I was an adult I couldn’t trouble them with my problems; besides I didn’t want to hurt them. I thought if I were dead, I wouldn’t hurt my family with my miserable existence. One night I took a bottle of pills. I felt dizzy and out of it, yet somehow, I drove to college in a snowstorm and back.

When my mom started to notice something was wrong, she began to visit each week to spend time with me. When I finally confided completely in her about how I was feeling, she moved me home and went on a search to get me help. Eventually I took a year off college to work on my mental health.

College is a new beginning and can be made especially difficult if you are struggling with mental illness. My advice is don’t start college until you have begun treatment for your mental illness and have learned coping techniques for the sudden change in your lifestyle. If you need to take a year to work a job and do therapy to get your mental illness under control, do it. There is no need to rush off to college until you’re mentally strong enough to cope with the new challenges. Take care of yourself first. You can go to college at any time.

Don’t keep your feelings to yourself and try to handle your illness on your own. Tell your parents, a family member, or a counselor at the college what is happening to you. Even adults need help and support managing mental illness. Don’t suffer alone. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, especially if you are suicidal.

If college is becoming too stressful and it’s taking a toll on your mental health, then consider cutting down on some of your classes. It might take you longer to complete your degree, but your mental well-being is more important. When I returned to college after a year off, I cut my class load down to part time. It took me longer to graduate, but I was less stressed and stronger mentally because of it.

I started a two-year college in the summer of 1993 and graduated in 1999. It took me much longer to get my degree, but my mental health was better because of it. I have my degree hanging on my wall to remind me of the huge accomplishment I made despite a learning disability and mental illness. I stand proudly in the light of recovery as a college graduate who is following her dreams.

THE IMPORTANCE OF STOPPING MEDICATION PROPERLY

Published on by Aimee Eddy2 Comments

Medication for mental illness regulates the chemicals in the brain to control many symptoms of the sickness. The medicine is very powerful and must be regulated by a doctor or psychiatrist. Sometimes psychiatrists or doctors improperly take patients off medications, causing the return of symptoms and withdrawal. Some struggling with the illness become frustrated with their medicine. They might not feel the relief they need or suffer with side effects. In this case they might take themselves off their medication cold turkey. This is dangerous. Medication should be stopped properly to avoid serious complications.

In Darvin Hege’s MD PC blog post “Abruptly Stopping Psychiatric Meds” he states, “The decision to stop taking psych meds without benefit of mental health or psychiatric planned medication reduction or change can be dangerous, even life threatening. Withdrawal can bring distressing reactions including potentially fatal seizures with unmonitored stoppage of psych meds.” 

When I was newly married to my husband Lou, we flew to Georgia to spend a week with his aunt and uncle. His uncle was a psychologist. He noticed my hands were shaking a lot. He sat me down and went into psychologist mode. He asked me questions about my illness and medications. I told him what antidepressants I was on and how long I had been taking them.

“I believe you have been on your antidepressants for too long and they are starting to cause a side effect, the shaking,” he said.

When I returned home, I told my psychiatrist. He decided to send me for tests to make sure it wasn’t anything neurological. I went through several tests. Doctors told me the different illnesses that could cause the shaking, but all the tests came back good. When my psychiatrist received the test results, he decided to take me off all my medication. Immediately I started feeling hot and sweaty. No matter what I did I couldn’t cool myself down. My stomach twisted into knots and just the sight of food made me nauseated. I stopped sleeping. I sat up all night long wishing I could just sleep.

I began having problems concentrating at my job and I made a mistake that resulted in me getting suspended. This devastated me. I cried easily, and my depression hit me so hard that I was thrown to the bottom of the hole. My body began to shake so bad I could barely stand. I felt sicker than I had ever felt. I couldn’t keep food down and became very weak. Lou took me to the Emergency Room, and they gave me an IV of fluids. It was worse than the flu. Lou called his uncle and told him what was going on. His uncle asked to talk to me. I told him how I felt, and he automatically knew I was going through withdrawal.

His uncle told me, “Your psychiatrist should have never taken you off your medicine all at once. He should have carefully lowered the dose until you were weaned off it and then slowly started you on new antidepressants.”

A friend told me about a psychiatrist a family member of hers was going to and I started seeing him. The new psychiatrist started me on new medicine and when it didn’t work, he kept lowering the dose while slowly starting me on a new med. This process helped me get off an antidepressant without having withdrawal.

Medication for mental illness is not a joke. It isn’t something you, your psychiatrist or doctor should play around with. If your psychiatrist or doctor tells you to stop taking your medication without weaning you off, then it may be time to find a new one. When he or she takes you off improperly, they are playing games with your health. A good psychiatrist or doctor will take you off your meds by slowly decreasing the dosage until it’s safe for you to stop it. Always refuse to be taken off your medication improperly.

When your medication isn’t working or you’re having side effects that are making your ability to function impossible, don’t just top your meds. Call your psychiatrist or doctor and tell them about any side effects or that your medicine isn’t working. Let them take you off properly and decide what medication to put you on. Finding the right medication is a frustrating process, but one that should be handled by a professional, not you.

Your health and well-being are important. The best way to stay on the road to recovery is to know the importance of your medication and to allow the professionals to decide how to take you off it and when to start you on a new one. Part of recovery is taking care of yourself and handling your medicine properly.

I have a psychiatrist who knows his medications well, and with his help I bathe in the light of recovery.

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS

Published on by Aimee EddyLeave a comment

Everyone has dreams for the future. We dream of finding our true love, of owning a bakery, writing a book, becoming a lawyer, and so on. Our dreams drive us to strive to make them come true, but sometimes when we struggle with mental illness, we feel like dreams are hopeless. We see our dark little world and suddenly the future seems like a road into more agony.

I have had several people who struggle with mental illness tell me, “Because of my mental illness I have to give up my dreams.” Or they say, “With my mental illness I can’t follow my dreams.”

I once thought this way. When I hit the bottom of my dark hole, I stopped writing. My father kept asking me when I was going to write a book. My excuse was because of my illness I’ll never be able to write a book. I thought my dream to publish a book could never come true. I stopped trying. I told myself it was hopeless. I thought of myself as a failure. I was just a worthless loser. I put my paper and pen down and sat in despair.

When I started on my path to recovery, I began writing again; I wrote short stories and essays. I had a few essays and a couple of humorous stories published. I even won a special award for a short humorous story, but I still believed I could not write a book. My parents asked me when I was going to write a book. My answer was, “I can’t; I can only write short stories.” I still could not believe in myself enough to strive to make my dream to publish a book come true. My dreams couldn’t come true. But I was wrong.

When I met my husband, I still struggled with bouts of depression and bad self-esteem. He changed my life. Every day he complimented me and encouraged me. He even agreed to go to couples’ counseling with me to learn how to handle my illness. With his help I strove to reach recovery. On that road towards the light, I attempted to write a book, but I gave up. Five years ago, I decided I was going to write and publish my memoir. I started writing, Escape to the Garage: Family Love Overcomes Bullying.

I struggled with reliving powerful emotions and self-doubt. I told my husband several times, “I can’t write this. My writing sucks.” Continuously, he encouraged me to keep writing. He told me to follow my dream.

Each night, before he went to bed, he said, “You’re going to write tonight, right?”

I hugged him. “Yes, I’ll write tonight.”

When I came to bed he’d wake up and ask, “How many pages did you write?”

When I needed a break to handle the memories and heal the wounds of the past, he reminded me that I could not give up on my dream. At times the emotions of the abuse the younger me felt were so powerful I felt like I couldn’t go on. My husband reminded me of how far I had come and that I could not give up when I was so close to making my dream come true. I started to believe in myself, in my dream. With each chapter I wrote, my writing improved and my dream got closer.

When I got to chapter 20, I started daydreaming of holding my book in my hand and giving talks about bullying. By the time I finished my first draft, I was dreaming of my launch party. My dream of publishing a book was coming true. When my book was finally published, I couldn’t wait until my first box of books came in the mail. I checked my front porch each day, hoping they would arrive early. I was jumping for joy when they finally arrived. I can’t tell you how wonderful it felt to hold my dream that I once thought would never come true in my hand. I was floating among the stars.

2022 was the year I made my dream come true. The year I started my work as an advocate against bullying by giving talks about my experiences and the harm bullying does. I have spoken at libraries, a historical society, a girl scout troop, and at the YMCA. Now my dream is to speak at schools and I’m going to strive to make that come true.

Don’t give up dreams just because you have a mental illness. It may take you longer to achieve it and you will have to work towards recovery before you can reach it, but dreams can come true. Never give up or stop following your dreams. If you are really struggling with your illness, put your dreams aside until you get stronger. Once you have your illness under control, strive to make it come true. If I can do it, so can you.

Because I followed my dream and made it come true, I stand proud in the light of recovery.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF MEDICATION

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We all dread to be put on medicine. It seems like there is a prescription for every little problem we suffer with and then a medication for the side effects another one causes. It seems like an endless cycle. Sometimes we ask ourselves if being put on another drug is worth it. Does it really help? For those of us who struggle with mental illness, we might cringe at being put on an antidepressant, anti-anxiety, mood stabilizer, or antipsychotic. We fear the side effects and how they might make us feel. We wonder if they are important.

Medication for mental illness is very important. Most mental illnesses are caused by an imbalance of chemicals in our brains. To balance those chemicals, we need to take medication. Therapy helps change a pattern of behaviors and thoughts a person developed while struggling with mental illness, but therapy is no good without medication. Without something to balance the chemicals you will find yourself unable to climb out of the hole.

I consider my antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications my life savers. They control many of my symptoms of depression and anxiety. Without my medication my emotions take control of me: I cry, I can’t focus, I can’t make rational decisions, I can’t sleep, I get very depressed, and I get sick. Without them I would not be in recovery, but they alone are not what helped me get to where I am.

When I hit the bottom of my dark hole of mental illness, I was so consumed with sadness I could barely force myself out of bed in the morning. I spent endless nights begging for sleep and cried easily. While struggling with those emotions I developed a negative pattern of thinking, I lost my self-esteem, and I developed unhealthy coping techniques. When I finally told my mom about what was happening to me, she searched for help for me until she found it. I started seeing a therapist who helped me work on my thinking; she taught me healthier coping techniques and she worked with me on learning to love myself, but that wasn’t enough. She also sent me to a psychiatrist.

The psychiatrist asked me a series of questions. Some questions seemed crazy like who was the president and what year it was. Other questions seemed logical like how often a day I cried, how many hours of sleep a night I got, was there anything that brought me happiness, and so on. I didn’t understand at the time the importance of his questions, but I know now he was using my answers to diagnosis me and determine what antidepressant might work best for me.

psychiatrist with patient on couch clipart

With the right antidepressant, I was able to focus on therapy and getting myself well. I learned during both times in my life that I hit the bottom of the hole of my illness that medication and therapy work together to help a person become well enough to function and be happy. I couldn’t focus on therapy without medication to balance the chemicals in my brain. Therapy wouldn’t work if my symptoms kept me from functioning and focusing on changing my bad patterns and thoughts. So, I met regularly with a therapist and a psychiatrist.

I’ve had people say they refuse to go on medication for their mental illness. Some have tried herbal remedies like Saint John’s Wort. The problem with a lot of the herbal medications is they are not proven to work; they have not gone through the strict regulations prescription drugs go through. Many people I’ve known who have tried the herbal remedies have found no improvements with their illness. Then again there are some who have found some relief from herbs. My advice is if you choose to go with herbal remedies, but you find no relief, consider prescription medication.

If you want to reach recovery from mental illness, then understand the importance of medication. Sometimes there are side effects, and it takes time to find the right medicine for you, but they are important. Two crucial steps into reaching recovery from mental illness are to find a good psychiatrist and a good therapist. Once you have found both then you can start working towards living life. You won’t be cured of mental illness, but you can live a productive life and find happiness.

I have reached the point of my life where I no longer need therapy. I have a good support system, coping techniques and medication that help me stay happy in the light of recovery.

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LOVE YOURSELF FIRST

Published on by Aimee EddyLeave a comment

We all want to find the perfect partner to make our lives beautiful and to take our loneliness away. I’ve seen many posts on Facebook where people share their loneliness and if they could just find someone, they would be happy again. The thing is finding the right person is a very hard task. When you’re struggling with mental illness, you can’t have a healthy relationship until you take care of yourself, and you learn to love yourself.

When I was down into the dark depths of my illness, I daydreamed of the perfect man coming into my life and suddenly my sadness and loneliness would disappear. I wanted to find Mr. Right so badly that when a guy came along making phony promises, I thought I was in love with him. He asked me to move in with him and I did. Things changed quickly. It started with him saying I couldn’t use a certain pan because I would ruin it. Then it increased to verbal and physical abuse.

He was a narcissist, and he used my weakness to get pats on the back. He went to therapy with me and told the therapist how I abused him. He told his family and neighbors how hard it was on him to take care of a woman with mental illness so they would feel sorry for him. When he packed my bags to kick me out, I lost control and put my hand through a window. Instead of calling my mom, he called his. His mom sat there as the EMT bandaged my hand telling me if I had treated her son better, he wouldn’t have kicked me out.

I wanted to find the right guy so much that I missed all the signs that my ex-boyfriend was the wrong one for me. I didn’t love myself and I was so sick I couldn’t make clear decisions. After he threw me out, I went into a mental health hospital and started taking steps to take care of myself. When I got out of the hospital, I realized I couldn’t be in a healthy relationship with anyone until I decided I wanted to work towards recovery. How could I truly love a man if I didn’t love myself first?

After I got out of the hospital I started on a journey to recovery. I worked hard to change my thought processes and to learn to love myself. I was doing well, but I kept having bouts of depression. I started to see myself in a new light, but in the process to recovery, I had to end a lot of bad friendships. I was lonely. I was changing into a new person, and I had no one to share that with until I was set up on a blind date with my husband. When I met him, I finally loved myself enough to know I deserved a good man.

My husband has a friend who is struggling with mental illness. He talks continually about finding the right woman. He’s been in several bad relationships while looking for that special love. He tells my husband how lucky he is to have a woman like me. The problem is my husband’s friend does little to work on taking care of his illness and learning to love himself. I’ve told him several times, “Take care of yourself and learn to love yourself first, and in time you will find the love of your life.” Instead, he dwells on being single and goes out with all the wrong women who end up hurting him. I’m not sure if he will ever get the help he needs to work towards recovery and learn to love himself.

I belong to a mental health support group. Many people complain about how lonely they are and if they’d just find a partner, they will feel better. It’s not that easy. Loving someone else doesn’t cure mental illness and take away all their problems. We all want to be loved and cared for by someone special, but how can we give love if we don’t love the one important person in our lives, ourselves?

I know from experience that when we are deep down the dark hole of mental illness, the only thing we can see is our own horrible, miserable existence. We are so focused on hating our lives and ourselves, we can’t even be a good friend, let alone a good partner. When we’re at our worst we can’t even be supportive of the people we care about, let alone commit to a serious relationship. The first step you need to take is to decide if you want to work towards recovery. Secondly you need to find help, and thirdly you need to work hard to get better and learn to love yourself.

Once you learn to love yourself, you’re able to make clearer decisions about what type of person you want in your life. You’ll be able to see the flaws in the people you are dating, and you will be able to give equally to a relationship. Love yourself enough to find a partner who will love you the way you deserve.

Because I learned to love myself, I found a wonderful husband who spoils me every day and I dance in the light of recovery as a beautiful woman.

REASONS TO LIVE

Published on by Aimee EddyLeave a comment

You’re in the darkest deepest part of your hole of depression. You feel helpless, hopeless, useless, and worthless. You see your existence as a burden to your family and friends, and you just can’t stand living in so much pain anymore. It seems like your life is useless and there is no way out of that dark hole except to take your life. You keep asking yourself “why am I alive? What good am I to anyone?” The truth is, even though you might be unable to see it right now, there are many reasons to live.

You might say, “What does she know? She’s in recovery and she’s happy.”

I was once in your place. I had planned my suicide and attempted several times. In recovery I did find that there are many reasons to live. Some who attempt suicide or plan it don’t live to figure out why they should continue. So, I’m here to tell you, “STOP and read this.” Maybe this will change your mind.

Here are some reasons for living:

  • Happiness and recovery are possible. It may not seem like it right now, but you can learn to control and cope with your depression. With hard work you can take control over your illness and find recovery and happiness.
  • You are important. You may think badly of yourself right now, and it’s hard to just love yourself, but with work you can learn to love and like yourself. You are not just a sad, lowly person on this earth. You are a special, unique person who has touched others’ lives without even knowing it. You are important and you deserve to live and know that your existence means something. If you die, you’ll never know how important you are to this world and to others.
  • You have a future. Your life isn’t destined to experience continuous pain. God has plans for your future. You can travel, you can work a successful job, you can find the love of your life, and you can have your own family. You’ll never get to see your future if you take your life. There is a promising future for you just waiting if you’re willing to fight for recovery and if you decide to live.
  • You can make your dreams come true. Have you dreamed of owning your own bakery? Have you always wanted to climb the highest mountain? Have you wanted to go to France, and much more? Dreams can come true if you’re willing to fight and work hard for them. No dream is too big to reach. Believe in your dream and make it happen.
  • For your family and friends. You may think your family and friends would be better off without you, but they won’t. If they find your body or hear that you took your own life, they will never get over that. You would leave them with unanswered questions, endless grief, self-blame, and agony. No matter how hard it is for them to see you so sad, it is much harder for them to weep over your body and stand at your grave wondering how they could have prevented losing you. Do you really want to put them through that?
  • For a chance at a new beginning. Life is rough right now, everything is falling apart and going wrong, but it doesn’t always have to be like that. Taking the steps to ask for help and start your journey to recovery is taking a road to a new beginning. When you do reach recovery, you can rebuild your life and start a new beginning. If you made mistakes in the past, you could put them behind you and start out fresh. Being able to fight your depression and reach recovery gives you a new perspective on life and a chance to live a better life.
  • For you. Decide to live for you because you’re not that deep sadness that is overtaking your existence. You are much more than your illness. You’re a loving, kind, and strong person who deserves a chance at life. God made you for a reason. He doesn’t make mistakes. You are a good reason to choose living. You are a special person who deserves a chance to shine like the star you are. You should be the most important reason to live for. Stop planning to die and choose to live for yourself.

When you start thinking about suicide, think about the reasons you should live. Write them down on a piece of paper or in a journal. Hang them up on a mirror or near your bed. Each time you think you’re better off dead, read over the reasons you should live and decide to fight. When you think you can’t go on anymore, read those reasons. Keep reading them and pushing towards recovery. You can climb up out of the darkness of the hole and stand in the light of recovery. Choose life.

Several years ago, I thought my life wasn’t worth living. In time I chose to live and to fight for recovery. Now I live a wonderful life. I still cope with my illness, but I stand as a survivor of suicide and a stronger person in the light of recovery.