Mental Health and Seeking Help

If you’re reading this, it’s probably because you’re struggling. Maybe you’re struggling with an eating disorder or PTSD or depression or any other mental illness that is grabbing hold of your life. So the first thing I’m going to tell you is: please don’t give up.

I’ve struggled with a lot of mental health problems for as long as I can remember. I’ve been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. It’s been really hard to live with.

I’m not going to tell you that there’s some magic cure that’ll work for everyone. There isn’t. But there is something that can help you, it just takes trial and error. So here are a few guidelines that may help you with managing your mental health.

1. Talk to a therapist.

It sounds cliche. And it doesn’t work for everyone. For me, the actual advice from my therapists or counselors never helped, but I realized what troubles I’m facing when I talked through them with someone else.

2. Think about getting medication.

If you’re against medication for mental health, I understand completely. However, I feel like for me, counseling alone didn’t help. I knew what the problem was but breaking the cycle seemed near impossible without something to help me get my legs under me. I now take a medication prescribed by my doctor to help me manage my depression and anxiety and I’m doing better.

3. Keep going.

If you call to schedule appointments and seem to hit dead ends, keep calling. If you find a doctor who isn’t taking your needs seriously, find a new one. It took me two months to see a doctor who ended up telling me that she wouldn’t prescribe me anything and that I’d have to watch some YouTube videos on things like mindfulness. Maybe that’s helpful to some people, but it wasn’t to me. It took another month-or-two of searching to find another doctor with open availability who finally took me seriously.

4. Take care of yourself.

I know that sounds silly. Or maybe you think it’s impossible. Get out of bed, take a shower, eat a meal. If that’s all you do today, so be it. And be proud that you did it at all. Mental illness takes a physical toll on you, as well.

5. Get a blood test.

It may seem strange to get a blood test for mental health, as we all know that depression or anxiety aren’t going to show up in your blood like regular diseases may. This is really important, though. Certain illnesses or deficiencies can mask themselves as mental health disorders. Things like low vitamin D or thyroid problems can make you feel run down and depressed.

6. Don’t feel guilty.

Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for being ill. Don’t let them tell you “Oh you need to exercise... You need to eat better... You need to journal... Just stop being sad.” For some people these things may help, but again, mental health is not one size fits all. Of course, eating better and exercising can help with some of symptoms of things like depression, but for some people it’s a feat to even get out of bed.

7. Reach out.

There are a lot of ways to reach out when you’re in need. Reach out to a friend or family member. If you don’t feel safe doing that, there are many hotlines and apps now that can help you connect with someone when you need it. I also find comfort in being there for other people. Most of my friends know they can talk to me about anything, day or night, and I’ll be there for them with no judgement. If you’re too afraid to reach out to a family member or friend and don’t want to reach out to a hotline, I’ll be here to lend an ear as well.