Mental Health: In Our Own Words
Summary
TLDRThe speaker shares their journey with mental health issues, starting from teenage years due to family and personal struggles. They recount feelings of worthlessness, anxiety, and self-harm, emphasizing the difficulty of daily life and societal misconceptions. Despite the hardships, they found solace in pets, supportive networks, and the realization that they are not alone. The speaker encourages openness about mental health, seeking help, and focusing on the present for recovery.
Takeaways
- 🌀 The individual's depression began around the age of 16, influenced by parental divorce and school struggles.
- 😔 The loss of their father during high school and a breakup at 16 led to self-harming behaviors.
- 🔪 Recognizing the mental health issue at 15, the person was cutting and crying daily.
- 😱 After an attack, anxiety and panic attacks became overwhelming, with a feeling of not being able to stop self-destructive behaviors.
- 🌑 At the worst, they felt worthless and hopeless, as if a black cloud was constantly hanging over them.
- 🏃♀️ A mental breakdown led to a decision to run away from home, feeling the world would be better off without them.
- 📉 The mental health condition involves unpredictable highs and lows, making everyday tasks feel insurmountable.
- 🤯 The biggest challenge is that people often don't realize there's something wrong, especially with eating disorders where stereotypes abound.
- 🐾 Having pets and a support network of friends and family provides comfort and reassurance.
- 💪 Reminding oneself of past resilience and the desire to return to a happier, more relaxed state can be motivating.
- 🗣️ People's normal treatment and understanding can be very helpful, rather than tiptoeing around the individual.
- 🌟 Knowing that there is support and acceptance from others, even with mental health issues, can be comforting.
Q & A
At what age was the individual diagnosed with depression?
-The individual was diagnosed with depression at the age of 16.
What were the initial triggers for the individual's mental health issues?
-The initial triggers were the divorce of the individual's parents, struggling with school, and the death of their father during high school.
What behaviors did the individual engage in during their mental health struggles?
-The individual engaged in self-harming behaviors such as cutting and purging.
When did the individual first realize they had a mental health problem?
-They first realized they had a mental health problem at the age of 15 when they were cutting themselves every day and crying all the time.
What was the individual's experience with anxiety and panic attacks?
-The individual experienced anxiety and panic attacks after an unspecified attack, which started to creep in and affect them.
How did the individual describe their mental state at their worst?
-At their worst, the individual felt worthless, alienating, destructive, and hopeless about recovery.
What was the individual's perception of their future during their mental health crisis?
-During the crisis, the individual felt they would never reach their ambitions or goals and that the world would be better off without them.
How did the individual cope with the highs and lows of their mental health?
-The individual struggled to control the highs and lows and sometimes wanted to hide away, but reminded themselves that they were strong.
What was the hardest aspect of having a mental health problem for the individual?
-The hardest aspect was that people did not realize something was wrong and that they could be very ill even if they looked fine.
How did the individual feel about the term 'schizo' and its associated stigma?
-The individual did not like the term 'schizo' due to the stigma attached to it.
What support systems helped the individual in their recovery?
-The individual found support in their two rescue dogs, a great network of friends and family, and knowing they were not alone in their diagnosis.
What advice does the individual have for others who might be experiencing similar mental health issues?
-The individual advises overcoming the fear of talking about one's condition, focusing on the present, and asking for help.
How does the individual feel about their mental health journey?
-Despite the struggles, the individual does not regret having mental health problems as it has contributed to who they are today.
Outlines
😞 Struggles with Mental Health and Depression
This paragraph recounts the diverse experiences of individuals who began grappling with mental health issues at different stages of their lives. It touches on various triggering events, including family problems, academic stress, the loss of a parent, breakups, and personal trauma. The emotional toll of these challenges manifests in behaviors like self-harm, panic attacks, and hallucinations. Many describe feeling worthless, isolated, and trapped in a cycle of despair. Despite efforts to stop their harmful behaviors, they felt powerless, contributing to a sense of hopelessness and alienation from the world.
💬 Coping Mechanisms and Seeking Support
This section focuses on the importance of finding support, whether through pets, friends, family, or professional help. Individuals reflect on their sources of comfort, such as their pets, who rely on them for care and bring joy even on dark days. Support from friends and family is critical, especially when they are treated as they were before their mental health struggles began. Many express a desire to be treated normally but with sensitivity, avoiding stigma or pity. Therapy is also highlighted as a life-changing tool for healing and growth. Ultimately, the paragraph emphasizes the power of human connection and resilience in overcoming mental health challenges.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Depression
💡Self-harming
💡Mental Health Problem
💡Anxiety
💡Hallucinations
💡Worthlessness
💡Stigma
💡Recovery
💡Support Network
💡Therapy
💡Acceptance
Highlights
Diagnosed with depression at 16, linked to parents' divorce and school struggles.
Father's death during high school initiated mental health issues.
Began purging and self-harming after ending a relationship at 16.
First realized mental health problem at 15 with daily self-harm and constant crying.
Experienced anxiety and panic attacks after an attack.
Desire to stop self-destructive behaviors was hindered by inability to control them.
Suffered from hallucinations, blurring the line between reality and imagination.
Felt worthless and destructive, with no hope of recovery.
Described a constant feeling of being under a dark cloud of loneliness.
Believed the mental state was permanent and hopeless.
Mental health issues created a sense of isolation and disconnection from the world.
Mental health fluctuations were difficult to control and caused distress.
Daily tasks became overwhelming due to mental health struggles.
Mental health issues were often misunderstood by others, leading to feelings of invisibility.
Eating disorders are often stereotyped, causing additional stigma.
Bad days felt catastrophic and isolating.
Finding it hard to explain mental health struggles to those who haven't experienced it.
Social situations were particularly challenging due to mental health.
Disliked the stigma associated with the term 'schizo'.
Finding reassurance in knowing others share the same diagnosis.
Caring for rescue dogs provided a sense of purpose and happiness.
Having a supportive network of friends and family was crucial.
Reflecting on personal growth and resilience despite mental health issues.
Appreciated being treated normally by friends, as it was before the mental health struggles.
Prefers to be treated normally but with sensitivity, not to be tiptoed around.
Wishes for understanding and not being told to 'cheer up'.
Learned from experience that therapy and support can be very beneficial.
Realized that mental health issues have shaped their identity in a positive way.
Encourages openness about mental health to gain support.
Advises focusing on the present moment for mental health management.
Empowers others to be brave and seek help for mental health.
Encourages breaking down daily tasks into manageable time slots.
Reminds that everyone has scars, both visible and invisible.
Advocates for self-acceptance and seeking help.
Insists that recovery is possible, even after multiple setbacks.
Transcripts
I was about 16 when I was diagnosed with depression, my doctors think that it stemmed from my parents
divorcing and struggling with school really. It all started when my father died when I
was at high school. It all started in university during my final
year. It all started when I was 16, I came out of
a relationship I was in at the time and I started purging and self-harming.
I first realised I had a mental health problem when I was 15. I was cutting myself every
day and crying all the time. Soon after the attack happened I started to
feel throes of anxiety, panic attacks started creeping in.
I first realised that I had a problem when I really wanted to stop all the things I was
doing but I just couldn’t seem to stop no matter how badly I wanted to.
I was suffering from hallucinations which at the time were really scary because I didn’t
know what was reality and what was my imagination. At my worst I felt like I was absolutely worthless,
alienating and destructive with no help of recovery.
I felt like I had this black cloud hanging constantly over my head and it’s just a
feeling that stays with you and you can’t seem to get away from it all and you feel
completely alone. I felt like this was going to be it forever.
I felt as though I’d never reach any of my ambitions or my goals.
I felt like I was in my own bubble hearing muffled voices of people around me.
When I had my first mental break, proper mental breakdown and I decided to run away from home.
I felt like the world will be better off without me.
My mental health problem means that I go through many highs and lows which I struggle to control.
Sometimes I just want to hide away. I feel that I have to my make everyone else
happy and every day is a struggle but I just remind myself that I’m strong.
My mental health problem means that sometimes the world can be a very scary, very dangerous
and very dark place. Everyday tasks can become the most mammoth
missions that seem like you’re never going to be able to do them.
My mental health problem means that a life is hard.
The hardest thing about having a mental health problem is people not realising that there’s
something wrong with you and that you can be really ill even if you look absolutely
fine. I think especially having an eating disorder people assume that you’re going
to look a certain way or be a certain size or shape or you know they imagine certain
stereotypes that aren’t necessarily true. Like the social and in my case like the cultural
stigma associated with it. If I’m having a bad day, no matter how small
it is, it feels like the whole world is crashing in on me and things just keep getting worse.
Just trying to get the people around me to understand what I’m going through when they
haven’t gone through something like me is probably the hardest thing.
Social situations in particular can be really difficult. I sometimes can’t commit to what
we’d call sort of normal everyday activities. The word schizo, I think it has a lot stigma
attached to it, I really don’t like it. What really reassured me was knowing that
there are so many other people out there who have got the same diagnosis as me and that
I’m not alone. Having my two rescue dogs to look after and
to take care of because I know that they need me around and they always happy to see me,
so no matter how bad my days is how awful everything seems to be, I know that they need
me and they always make me smile. Having such a great network of friends, family
and people who are out there who can help. I’d look at how far I’ve come and everything
that I’d gone through and realise that I am still standing.
It really helps me when my friends treat me the way they did six years ago before this
all started. I was the happy laidback person and that’s the person I want to be and aspire
to be again. It really helps me when people just treat
me normally. I’d like people to treat. To treat me like,
like you would your own mother I guess. That’s, yes, I think that’s a good way to treat
people. I don’t want people to tiptoe around me.
I’d like people to treat me like any other normal person but also just to be a bit more
sensitive around me, not to, pre-stigmatise depression and everything and telling me to
cheer up and everything. I wish I’d known how much I was going to
grow and learn as grew up and grow older. I wish I’d known how much therapy was going
to help me and how much I was going to gain from that. And I wish I’d known that it
was possible to meet people who would love me for all of me, including my mental illness.
That I didn’t have to feel so alone and that there was a lot of support out there.
That there are people out there and organisations that can help me.
I don’t regret having mental health problems because it has made me who I am today.
I wish I’d known just how supportive people can be once you tell them what you’re going
through. People are accepting, they’re not going
to walk down the street and cry, you mental case, they’re not going to, you know, they’re
not going to do anything like that, everyone’s incredibly understanding and if they’re
not, bleep them. So the best piece of advice I’d have to
give would be just getting over that initial fear of coming out to people about your condition
because once you talk about it, it really does help.
Best piece of advice I ever got was just focus on today. Because you can’t change what’s
happened in the past and there’s honestly no real way of predicting what’s going to
happen in the future. I know it’s hard but be yourself and be
brave and you will recover. Take each day as it comes and even if that’s
too much break it right down to just five minutes at a time, I find that that really
helps. Just ask for help, just make that step and
ask anybody, you know and they will be supportive for you.
Everybody has scars, some people have them in the mind and some people have them on legs,
like I do. Just basically be yourself, that’s simple
enough in what might be a bit cliché but I guess it’s true.
It’s okay to be mental and that most people are just not in the same way as you but there
are ways to get help. Even if you think that things can’t get
better, that you tried so many times and you’ve kind of, you fed up and you’ve had enough
of trying, things really can and you can get better and you can recover.
So, don’t give up on yourself.
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