advice
Advice and tips on managing mental health, maintaining a positive outlook and becoming your happiest self.
The “Great” Depression Part 1
Some days are really hard...you try and try but nothing ever seems to work out the way you need or want it to. Does that sound familiar? The days when you barely have the energy to get out of bed. You ignore phone calls and text messages. Somehow you just seem to wander around in a foggy forest within your mind. The fog and darkness set in and you literally feel like you are in a labyrinth of sorts. It’s a feeling that is extremely difficult to explain to someone who has never wandered in the darkness. Sometimes you see a bit of light in the distance that you try to reach...and yet it remains out of reach. You find yourself laying in bed at 3:00am...unable to sleep but feel completely exhausted. Now that we have established a basic understanding of the how deep depression can feel, what do we do about it? The stigma of mental illness is a real thing. Many people are afraid to seek out a counselor or therapist. They hide their feelings away from others because they don’t want people to think they are “crazy” or even the terrible R-word that I wish wasn’t part of our vocabulary. Depression is not an easy battle. After all, you are fighting against you. It truly is a paradox. The battle can be ridiculously intense. It can leave you wounded in ways that are extremely difficult to come back from. Everything becomes so personal and somehow the slightest little thing can send you over the edge. I’ve personally worked in the mental health field for 8 years but I have also been battling the depression and anxiety fight for many many years. Some days are rough. I’ve had stretches where I’ve laid in bed for a week or two...mentally and emotionally exhausted in ways that even start to make me feel bad physically. What’s the point of all this I’m sure you’re wondering. How to you cope with your depression? When I talk with my clients I encourage them to watch “What About Bob?”. People laugh at this movie, and to be honest there is a lot of comedy within it but there is a serious underlying message. When people are depressed they want to get rid of it right? They go to a counselor or therapist and set a goal to get over their depression. It doesn’t work that way. That’s the honest truth. Think about trying to lose weight. If you weighed 300 pounds and you set a goal of losing 100 pounds and then you mess up and now you feel like shit. Some people give up right then and there. Much like with losing weight, depression battles need to start with really small goals. Your ultimate goal is to get over the depression but it isn’t gonna happen in an hour or a day. If you set the goals too high and somehow slip up, it can make your depression even worse. You gotta take baby steps. Set yourself small goals. Sometimes a goal needs to be just getting out of bed. I know to some that will sound silly, but when you accomplish a goal, it makes an impact on your mental state. Think about losing the weight again. Today I’m gonna walk for 15 minutes. Write it down and track it. Next time go for 20 minutes. Write it down. Celebrate it. Pat yourself on the back for accomplishing this simple goal. If the next day comes and you miss, you start the process over again. I get that it sounds like a real pain in the ass but in the end it’s worth it. You are the only one who can accomplish one of your goals. No one else can do it for you. The same principles truly do apply to depression battles. Today I’m going to clean off a table. Write it down and track it. Tomorrow I’m going to dust off the television. Write it down. Celebrate your little victories. You still have an ultimate goal to attain but you have to celebrate little victories. Regardless of what anyone thinks of your progress, you are in control. Trust me, I know it doesn’t feel like it, but you do have the power within you. It all starts and ends with you. Much like with other parts of life you have to pick your battles. Pick them wisely. Be kind to yourself. The world is rough...and life can be a bitch...and it will continually knock you out over and over. Life continues moving while you’re standing still. You have to learn to focus on those little things. People often ignore the little things until all of a sudden they turn into something bigger. You have to fight. When you celebrate those little victories by doing something for yourself (that’s called self-care by the way) you will take some of the pressure off of yourself, even if it’s just for that day. One good day is much better than another bad one. Love yourself. Stop listening to the criticism and negativity that the world may throw your way. I’m not going to lie and tell you that it’s easy. I assure you that if you made it this far into the first part of the story, you understand what I’m talking about and you can somehow relate to this. You are not alone. Other people understand the fight your in but you have to realize that everyone’s battle is different. We are all battling something. Someone cares about you. Someone loves you. Even when you don’t care or love yourself...someone does. Those of us battling depression care about one another because we understand the battles and struggles. I care. I love you. I encourage you to keep fighting. I wish you all Peace and Love ✌️💙
By Robert Michael Ruggieri5 years ago in Psyche
Disguised
Almost 2 years ago, she yearned for love . Coming out of something more than toxic . Abuse , pain , confusion, it was all a wreck. You ever wish you could get a slight preview of what you’re getting yourself into before actually getting into it ? Yeah .. that was her. In fact she’d scroll her page , Oh ! And yes I mean her , she loved women , just as much as women claimed they love her. Continuing on , she’d scroll her page and view her past , past as in others before her , what she likes , what she’s into just everything anyone would want to know about someone they had their interest in . She was pretty cool . Her name was Alice . See Alice loves social media , she love making people laugh and just notice her , and what she could do. She as in Porcha realized Alice pain , no attention, past trauma and so on but there wasn’t anything Porcha could not fix .
By thelifeofpre _5 years ago in Psyche
If you can go back in time.
I know. Is a very cliché question. If you can go back in time what would you change about yourself? I use to have this question in the back of my mind whenever I have scramble eggs and coffee. The coffee always remind me that I am older and the scrambles always remind me that I might have high cholesterol. This is one of the question that I personally feel like we need to ask ourselves at least once a month.
By Ruby Castro5 years ago in Psyche
Journey of a Person with Disability
Non-profits that counsel such as EastHouse and non-profits that treat such as Rochester Rehab aiding clinics and hospitals in treating people with disabilities. This is what families, friends, and people with disabilities should be researching and searching for because life coaches can provide motivation and inspiration to overcome illnesses. Sudden fear overwhelms us all but it is a meditation on the positivity that bridges the gap to hope. We cannot be afraid to ask for help and get help on things that are important to us. We must let nothing stop us from reaching our goals because our goals define us and our lives.
By Distinguished Honorary Alumni Dr. Matthew Primous5 years ago in Psyche
Battling Winter's Woes
Taking the dog for a walk before work has become a chore. Gone are the bright sunny mornings of spring and summer, where we could go on an early morning walk in short sleeves or a light jacket, accompanied by the tweeting of birds and the warmth of the morning sun on our faces. We are now into the season of gloves, hats, and big parkas zipped right up. Instead of feeling invigorated and healthier for taking a dawn stroll, we are now sauntering through the darkness, drizzle and fog, and spending most of it yawning and wondering why on earth 6 am now feels like 3 am.
By Lucy Charlotte Marshall5 years ago in Psyche
Things One Should Check Before Downloading A Mental Health App
Mental health is one of the main issues among young people. There are over a million children and youth who are dealing with mental illness in Canada alone. According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), around 75% of people who have a mental illness do not have access to specialized treatment.
By Jack thomson5 years ago in Psyche
3 Things to Get Your Mind Off Your Agoraphobia
As you know, we've been working together on our agoraphobia for a little while now and again, I'm doing this series because I'm hitting the decade mark for my diagnosis (thanks doc, it really helped to know). I'm not going to lie to you when I say that I had never even heard of the word when I was first diagnosed, I had never heard of either of my anxieties: agoraphobia and hypochondria. But, I am not going to lay down dead and do nothing but pop pills for the rest of my life. And there is no reason you should too. Your medication is very important but it can only go so far. Other things you should do is practice some habits that you can use to get your mind off those intrusive thoughts.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Psyche
3 Things That Will Never Help Your Agoraphobia
As you've probably seen on my channel, I have been covering things about agoraphobia as I reach the ten-year mark of being diagnosed with the mental illness. Over the years, I have tried and tested many things and methods, foods and everything under the sun. If you want to read about them in more detail, then click on the numbers and you can go back to the other parts of the series:
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Psyche
Attachment Style: People-Phobic
Take the Quiz I just finished reading Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find - and Keep - Love by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller and was struck by what healthy relationships look like, as modeled by secure attachment styles.
By Annette Kim5 years ago in Psyche
