Hi all,
I'm so so happy to be back and posting again! But before I get going with this post I think its best if I do a bit of an update to why I have not been active for a few months. Since about February my mental health has been quite wobbly, which has impacted on my education quite significantly this has then led to me being homeschooled again for the majority of the time. As I have exams coming up in the summer I have been pretty busy with revising and trying to prepare myself for these exams as best as I can! I don't want to ramble on as I'm excited to get going with posting again, If you have any suggestions on subjects you would want me to talk about either comment on this post or message me!
Learning how to cope with mental illness...
Living with a mental health problem can often have an impact on day to day life, making things others might not think about a bit more difficult.
When I think about my journey through my illnesses I find it quite difficult to see anything positive. It has been a painful, sad and confusing time, and left people around me filled with constant worry. My journey has been, and still is a long process. I've been under Mental Health services for five years, five years of being involved with different teams and seeing various Psychiatrists,Psycholgists,Therapists,Nurses and support workers.
But after a recent conversation with my Doctor I said that I wouldn't change what has happened, and your probably thinking why?
The answer is that, I will never be the person I was before I became unwell, I will never get that Leah back. Yes in someways that is quite sad however my struggles with mental health have made me into the person I am today. It has taught me so many things, and Ive have met so many incredible people! My knowledge of Mental Health is continuing to grow and this next bit in my opinion is one of the first steps on 'Coping with Mental Illness'.
Accepting your Diagnosis; Accepting your diagnosis in my opinion is key to recovery. While it is hard it is the first step to recovery.
Understanding Your illness; learning about your illness can be very beneficial, learn what your triggers are and learn to notice when you need to ask for help.
Coping skills; Having a list of your own personal coping skills on hand is always helpful for when you are struggling.
Keep a journal; Keeping a diary isn't for everyone, but if you haven't already tried I would definitely give it ago! Getting whatever is bothering you out can be a massive weight lifted.
Mindfulness; Mindfulness again doesn't work for everyone but it is helping more and more people and you never know it may just work for you.
Distraction list; Having a list of distractions e.g. Taking a bath, Painting nails, Baking etc etc can be a massive help for when your going through a roof patch.
Keeping busy; Keeping yourself occupied is always helpful, you could keep busy by, seeing family or friends, going on a walk, and maybe set yourself some goals for that day.
Socialising; Socialising can sometimes be really hard if your struggling with your mental health, you might find yourself becoming isolated and spending less time with people and more time on your own. But socialising is a massive part of recovery, and you will usually feel slightly better once you have done it.
Positive people; Surrounding yourself with people who make you happy will automatically give you a sense of positivity. Some people just give off positive vibes, and if you are surrounding yourself with them types of people you will kind of absorb that positivity!
This next one is definitely one of most important ones. Hopefully most of you will you already be receiving professional help but if you aren't, I can't express how important it is to do so.
If you are wondering how you go about seeking help you can do this by, visiting you GP.
Your GP will most likely refer you to a service known CAMHS (Child and adolescent Mental Health service) this is a NHS service for young people under the age of 18. If you are over the age of 18 your GP you refer you to CMHT (Community mental health team).
Once you have been referred to Mental health service you will have access to a range of different treatments.
Therapies including;
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
DBT (Dialectical Behavioural Therapy)
CAT (Cognitive Analitcal Therapy)
EMDR ( eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing)
Psychotherapy
Family Therapy
Art Therapy
Medication is also an option however not everyone will want or need medication, however in some cases medication can help a lot with recovery and help you to become more stable. Medication isn't a cure, it is a small part of aiding your recovery. Psychiatric Medication such as Anti-Depressants, Anti-Psychotics etc etc will only be prescribed by a psychiatrist. They are used to help treat and reduce symptoms.
Everyone will have their own coping mechanisms and their own ways of managing their illness but I that hope this post has helped and give you some ideas of how you could manage you illness better.
Thank you for reading,
Leah x
Learning how to cope with mental illness...
Living with a mental health problem can often have an impact on day to day life, making things others might not think about a bit more difficult.
When I think about my journey through my illnesses I find it quite difficult to see anything positive. It has been a painful, sad and confusing time, and left people around me filled with constant worry. My journey has been, and still is a long process. I've been under Mental Health services for five years, five years of being involved with different teams and seeing various Psychiatrists,Psycholgists,Therapists,Nurses and support workers.
But after a recent conversation with my Doctor I said that I wouldn't change what has happened, and your probably thinking why?
The answer is that, I will never be the person I was before I became unwell, I will never get that Leah back. Yes in someways that is quite sad however my struggles with mental health have made me into the person I am today. It has taught me so many things, and Ive have met so many incredible people! My knowledge of Mental Health is continuing to grow and this next bit in my opinion is one of the first steps on 'Coping with Mental Illness'.Accepting your Diagnosis; Accepting your diagnosis in my opinion is key to recovery. While it is hard it is the first step to recovery.
Understanding Your illness; learning about your illness can be very beneficial, learn what your triggers are and learn to notice when you need to ask for help.
Coping skills; Having a list of your own personal coping skills on hand is always helpful for when you are struggling.
Keep a journal; Keeping a diary isn't for everyone, but if you haven't already tried I would definitely give it ago! Getting whatever is bothering you out can be a massive weight lifted.
Mindfulness; Mindfulness again doesn't work for everyone but it is helping more and more people and you never know it may just work for you.
Distraction list; Having a list of distractions e.g. Taking a bath, Painting nails, Baking etc etc can be a massive help for when your going through a roof patch.
Keeping busy; Keeping yourself occupied is always helpful, you could keep busy by, seeing family or friends, going on a walk, and maybe set yourself some goals for that day.
Socialising; Socialising can sometimes be really hard if your struggling with your mental health, you might find yourself becoming isolated and spending less time with people and more time on your own. But socialising is a massive part of recovery, and you will usually feel slightly better once you have done it.
Positive people; Surrounding yourself with people who make you happy will automatically give you a sense of positivity. Some people just give off positive vibes, and if you are surrounding yourself with them types of people you will kind of absorb that positivity!
This next one is definitely one of most important ones. Hopefully most of you will you already be receiving professional help but if you aren't, I can't express how important it is to do so.
If you are wondering how you go about seeking help you can do this by, visiting you GP.
Your GP will most likely refer you to a service known CAMHS (Child and adolescent Mental Health service) this is a NHS service for young people under the age of 18. If you are over the age of 18 your GP you refer you to CMHT (Community mental health team).
Once you have been referred to Mental health service you will have access to a range of different treatments.
Therapies including;
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
DBT (Dialectical Behavioural Therapy)
CAT (Cognitive Analitcal Therapy)
EMDR ( eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing)
Psychotherapy
Family Therapy
Art Therapy
Medication is also an option however not everyone will want or need medication, however in some cases medication can help a lot with recovery and help you to become more stable. Medication isn't a cure, it is a small part of aiding your recovery. Psychiatric Medication such as Anti-Depressants, Anti-Psychotics etc etc will only be prescribed by a psychiatrist. They are used to help treat and reduce symptoms.
Everyone will have their own coping mechanisms and their own ways of managing their illness but I that hope this post has helped and give you some ideas of how you could manage you illness better.
Thank you for reading,
Leah x
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