relaxation blog

As summer begins and the days get hotter where I live, this is a reminder if you have a schizophrenia spectrum disorder and/or take certain psychiatric medication, please take it easy! Check your medication to see if it causes heat intolerance/sensitivity, drink water, stay cool, and try to limit how often you are outside or in the sun. Medications can cause heat intolerance, but the mental illness itself can affect parts of the brain that help thermoregulation in your body and it may impair your interoception, aka your awareness of your body's internal senses. And this doesn't just apply to schizophrenia-related disorders, if you have anxiety or bipolar it may also apply to you!

Ah, my OCD symptoms have been acting up. It is causing me to avoid social media entirely, and avoidance only reinforces the intrusive thought or belief. So I am slowly re-engaging with the Internet, sharing things about my life within reason and trying to socialize. I go through such extreme ups and downs regarding my Internet usage. I feel so guilty, reading about social injustice and environmental injustice, and I freeze because it feels like nothing I do is ever good enough. Going vegan isn't enough, reading about social issues isn't enough, donating to organizations isn't enough. I still feel guilty and horrible. I feel like I'm not a good person because I am part of some marginalized communities and it feels like I'm never doing enough to help other people in my group. It feels like I'm not a "good" part-indigenous person or trans person or disabled person. And I constantly re-trigger that anxiety by going onto triggering Tumblr accounts or YouTube videos. I can't stop by myself. It's torture.