I have had difficulties with my mental health from a young age. When I first became really unwell, I couldn’t see things ever getting any better. Then, as time went on, I felt recovery was in reach and my view changed. At first, I thought the only way I could cope was if I went to therapy. I thought this would get rid of the thoughts, feelings I was having. This I thought, would mean I was ‘fixed’ and would never go through these things again. However, this isn’t the case for lots of people, and I don’t think it will be for me either.
What I have learnt throughout my journey at a local Recovery College, is that mental health can change over time. We all have it and should look after it. Looking after our mental health can help us to move forward after tough times (something known as resilience). Mental ill health on the other hand is when we become worried about our mental health. We might be feeling a bit low, stressed or have been told we have a mental health condition.
More recently …
Recently, I have been able to put lots of tools in place to make my mental health better. This has meant that some of the thoughts and feelings that I have haven’t had as much of an effect on me anymore. I have also been able to push myself in some ways that have helped my mental health. I have managed to join groups in Capacitar, Pilates and Yoga. These have helped me to focus on the present moment. Even managing to attend alone was a big step for me so I built these things up over time being careful not to overwhelm myself too much. Now I have also been able to work for a long time which is something that would never have felt doable before.
Now I know that the journey I am on with my mental health won’t just go away overnight. Although, I will probably have OCD for the rest of my life, I no longer see this as negatively. The things I have been lucky enough to learn in therapy have helped me to weather the storm of my mental health at times. Putting these things in place has led me to be able to live a life that I would never have thought I could before.
Yes, I still have days where I feel like OCD wins the battle and I get stuck in thought spirals, but this isn’t taking over my life 24/7. I can now work, socialise with friends, have trips out, do new things and learn new skills. It hasn’t been easy, but I have managed to get some of the old me back. Now I am starting to move forward guided by my values and the things that matter to me most as well as forming a new identity too. I know that there will be times in the future where my mental health dips and I need to reach out for support. I no longer see this as a weakness but a form of self-care and a way of increasing my resilience.
The purpose of this post
I am writing this post because this week is mental health awareness week. I know that lots of people and places will be posting about all thing’s mental health during this week. Although the thought behind mental health awareness week is great, I would like this article to remind you that your mental health should always be important every day of the year not just on mental health awareness week. As a result of this, doing little things to benefit your wellbeing is important.
The theme of this week's Mental Health Awareness Week is Action. I hope this article acts as a reminder to reach out for support if you need it and to try to make positive changes to help your wellbeing. The small steps i've taken over time have really improved my life in the long-term.