Mental Health And Illness Stuff

There can be this kind of dark thrill in being unkind to yourself, in almost relishing in the parts of yourself that you hate.  Try not to feed that impulse.

When you find yourself starting to think unkind thoughts about yourself, stop, and recognize that that is what you are doing.  The more you let it continue without looking it in the face, the easier it is to believe the unkind things you are thinking about yourself.

If it is hard to be kind to yourself, instead, focus on being kind to other people, it will help you not dig into that impulse.

Table Top Pose (5 min aprox)

Paint your nails. Doesn’t matter if you’re good at it or not. It’s a quiet, calming, easy activity that takes up the perfect amount of time for a break and still requires some amount of focus. Put on a Youtube video or Netflix while you do it.

Watch a John Oliver video. If you don’t know him, he’s a comedian and host of Last Week Tonight on HBO. His pieces are hilarious, informative, and all around 15-20 minutes. 

Change the sheets on your bed. Changing your sheets often is good for your skin, still technically productive, and who doesn’t love snuggling up in a fresh bed after a long day? 

While you’re at it, clean your space. It’ll get you on your feet and again, still technically being productive. 

Make yourself something to drink. I hate to be that blogger™ but  Stay hydrated, loves! No energy drinks, if you need something more exciting. We are adults in this household, we get our caffeine like adults. Always go tea or coffee. 

Take a nap. There are legends that if you drink a coffee before you take a nap, the caffeine will wake you up naturally a little bit later and you’ll feel super energized. That sounds fake but idk knock yourselves out. 

Put on an RIP Vine compilation and dissociate for a bit. I’m not kidding.

Take a shower. Or just stand there under the hot water a bit. You’ll feel like a new being. 

Know that you are a boss

Seriously 

Studying with Mental Illness

Advice•Techniques• Help

Many of you may or may have not known but here we go! My name is Lina and i suffer from high functioning severe depression, panic attack disorder and generalized anxiety, suicide and self harm. Finishing off my sophomore year in high school i started developing depression. it got to the point of turning to the internet and getting caught up with online predators for attention and “happiness” after moving to another town not too far away, it turned into serious suicidal thoughts and attempts. Little did my parents know i was going to finish sophomore year and had a plan to end things from there. My parents found out that i was talking to strangers online and were very upset about finding all my suicidal thoughts on the internet. Still not sure as to the seriousness, i got in trouble. My parents were told to take me to therapy and psychiatric help right away. That is when my parents knew what was happening and the seriousness behind it. After months and years of switching meds, rigorous therapy, constant supervision…I was finally able to become stable. But as high school went on, things were getting stressful and i turned to self harm. I had even made another suicidal attempt. Self harm is still something i have a hard time stopping but as soon as I graduated, got a job and started college, I was happy with my life and doing very well to this day.

This was a long process, it did not happen in one day. So how did i continue to study and balance my mental health?

Schools

•you will need to decide what school fits you! personally, public school was just fine for me; having to get used to talking to people and learning social skills. but maybe that’s not the right one for you! and that’s ok! consider a charter or private school for a smaller group of students and more “attention” towards each student. Look at schools in your areas that are specific to mental health. I know plenty of friends that had to attend a different school that could accommodate to their needs no matter the illness. If you still want public, make sure to pay attention to class sizes and statistics on scores and grades. Every school is different. Ask around the internet or to neighbors or others that have attended the school and see what the people were like. I started hs in a super rich and spoiled town but i then switched schools my junior year of hs and there was a lot more diversity of students from races, ethnicity, sexuality, disabilities and more. People were a lot more humble about their money. It was the best thing I could have done for myself.

teachers/professor

•now you have your school, but let’s look at the teachers. even if you tried your best, not ALL your teachers will be your favorite:( But here’s what should happen in order for things to work out. when starting a class, most teachers want to get to know you. fav color, hobby, subject etc. Then they ask for “others things i should be concerned or know about?” this is where you and your parents/guardians come to play. Write down a note or something that gives a general idea of what your mental health is. For example, my parents would write a note or email to the teacher explaining the circumstances and having the teacher contact THEM if they noticed anything wrong.

medication

•PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make sure you are taking your medications correctly and everyday if needed. Always keep a backup dose in your backpack or purse or whatever in case you were running late. Never miss a dose. For example, i have to take effexor for my depression. this medication is the kind that you CANNOT just skip a dose or two. if i skip even just one dose, i get headaches and feel nauseous and throw up. This is also one that has some anxiety help component to it therefore keeping me awake so that means i have to take it in the morning so that i am not tossing and turning during my much needed nights sleep. i have to have at least a couple hundred calories eaten with my meds. i also take clonazipan; my anxiety meds. lately i’ve been doing well and haven’t needed it everyday (this is me personally, talk to your doctor about what you should be doing i am no doctor) so i take it as needed for extra stressful moments and if i accidentally took my effexor at night.

•MEDS ARE HERE FOR A REASON! MAKE SURE YOU ARE TAKING THEM AND TALK TO YOUR PSYCHIATRIST ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR MEDS

You are more important than your grades/studies:

•if you need to walk out of a classroom to take a breather, then do so. if you need to cry and let it out, excuse yourself and go. if teachers give you any problems, ignore them. talk with your parents. they will back you up or talk to an administrator if you do not have that family support. If you absolutely, cannot do your homework because of a circumstance (do not use this as an excuse; do your best) then take the time to heal mentally. you will not be able to do your absolute best if you are not in the right mental state.

Be gentle and kind to yourself:

Hey guys. I’m glad to be finally posting my “mental breakdown survival guide”. As you know I struggle a lot with mental health, and so I have been through a lot of breakdowns. So many that I actually dropped out of university after 3 weeks in 2016 and had to take the whole year off. Because of this, I’ve made it my mission to help others with mental health issues as much as I can, so you don’t have to go through what I’ve been through.

Anyway, here is my guide. I tried to keep it general, and actually useful. If you have any questions or additions please feel free to add them.

Hey guys! So I’ve been thinking a lot about what I use to control my mental health and keep me on track to recovery. Little things that make life easier for when everything seems hard. They’re not going to work miracles, but they can at least help, so I thought I’d share them with you. Here’s part one.

The DBT Wellness Planner

This planner uses dialetical behaviour therapy to help you bring order to your life and keep track of your emotions. I received it as a gift a few months ago and it has helped SO much. I really recommend this.

Anxiety and Worry Workbook

A lot of students cannot access therapy, whether because of money or your family or whatever. Workbooks can help you start developing skills by yourself. It’s hard, but if you put just a small amount of time into it consistently, you could really help yourself overcome symptoms. Add it to your schedule like homework. I have chosen this workbook because anxiety is something so many students struggle with.

Fidget Pen

We all know by now that fidget toys can be more distracting than anything. However, a lot of people with anxiety and similar symptoms can find fidget toys grounding. This pen is perfect for study, as it’s less likely to be taken away from you by an ignorant teacher. Just make sure you’re the kind of person who is helped by these things!

Sleep Supplement

Sleep is something most students struggle with, and the side effects can be seriously damaging to your mental health. You may be able to get a sleep aid from your doctor, but many don’t prescribe them to young people for fear of them forming a habit. A natural sleep supplement might be a good alternative. Though they don’t work for everyone, and are not as strong as prescription meds, supplements with things like melatonin, magnesium, and valerian root can give you a little extra push towards sleep. I find them especially useful when I can’t sleep because of anxiety. (Always keep in mind your specific body and needs before taking supplements).

Pill Reminder Clock / Reminder Bottle / Portable Bag

Remembering to take meds can be hard. Even apps can be easy to miss and ignore. That’s why I’ve added three different options to help you remember your meds. The first is an amazing alarm clock that says stuff like “Good morning, please remember to take your morning pills”. The second is pill bottles with caps that automatically count down from when you last took your meds. The third is a set of containers that fit into a small, discreet portable bag. 

Fitness Tracker

Regular exercise can be vital to help you regulate emotions and sleep. A fitness tracker can help you keep this up. You don’t have to fork out for a Fitbit, especially since you’re a student. There are plenty of cheaper options out there. One like this, with a heart rate monitor, can also be good for tracking anxiety. 

Intake-Tracking Water Bottle

So even despite the fact that I’m studying to be a social worker, I still have trouble handling my PTSD/Depression when it flares up. Here’s some tips from my roommate (who has anxiety) and I about trying to stay afloat on your worst days.

1. Utilize your school: Public colleges offer therapy sessions that are included in tuition. If you don’t have money to see a therapist outside of school (let’s face it, we’re all broke college kids) your school normally gives you a set number of sessions for free. I’m currently attending support group and weekly therapy, as my college does not have a cap on the amount of sessions we’re offered. Another way to utilize your school is if you have a professional diagnosis, put yourself on the ADA list. All colleges have them, and it makes it easier to get accommodations for your mental illness (such as being able to do essays instead of oral presentations if you have anxiety, and just generally professors being a tad more lenient about skipping class on mental health days) I didn’t know until this semester ADA compliance applied to mental illness as well as physical disabilities. If it’s the step for you, use it!

2. Utilize your support system: I know especially with depression and anxiety it feels like you’re alone. But chances are, you have someone who even if they don’t understand, can take your mind off things. They don’t have to be your best friend, and you don’t have to tell them everything you’re going through, but even grabbing lunch with a classmate or a roommate can alleviate that feeling of loneliness

3. Half ass things: I know this sounds like bad advice. But with mental illness it’s important to remember sometimes we can’t do everything…and that’s ok. Can only do 3 or 4 questions on that 6 question assignment ? Great! 4/6 is better than nothing. Can only bring yourself to write a few pages of the 5 page essay you have due tomorrow ? You did amazing, if you addressed all the questions most professors won’t even take off points! This goes for self care as well. Couldn’t shower today but brushed your teeth? Great! Only ate 2 meals today and they weren’t super healthy? You got nutrients in your body! Doing your best means not working yourself to exhaustion. Know your own limits

4. Don’t beat yourself up: this is the one I struggle most with. If I do half ass an assignment or I get a bad grade, I tell myself I’m worthless and shouldn’t even deserve to have a degree. It’s important to remember that you absolutely deserve to be where you are. You deserve your place at the school, but you also deserve to rest when it comes to your mental health.

5. Break your work into smaller chunks: this kind of plays into the half assing thing, but breaking your work into manageable chunks (whatever that might mean for you) helps with how daunting a task can be. Fear of failure often comes along with depression and anxiety, so that 5 pages paper can be terrifying. If you break it up into smaller tasks (get the sources one day, write an outline the next, etc), it can make that fear of failing seem much less important.

6. It’s ok to take a mental health day: If you’re really feeling it, and can’t get out of bed one day, it is OKAY to take mental health days. Currently I’m experiencing a day where I just don’t want to leave my dorm…and that is fine! Attendance policies exist for a reason, as does extra credit. If you really need to just lay in bed all day, you owe it to yourself to rest.

7. Talk to your teachers: seriously you guys, it took me so long to get this one right because I would get anxious talking to professors, but they’re there to teach you. Generally, no professor wants you to fail, and good professors will care about your wellbeing as well as your grades. Once I started learning to tell my professors I was struggling, or that my mental disorder was making it hard to focus, it became a lot easier to work with them, and for them to modify how they handled my behavior in class. This especially helps with participation grades, in my experience. Can’t talk in class because of your anxiety? Find out if there’s something else your professor is willing to let you do instead (pass out papers, take attendance, etc)