To me, mental health is an ongoing process, not a destination. It’s a huge part of my everyday life. I struggle with anxiety on a regular basis, and much more occasionally depression, and I am a licensed therapist, so it’s a focus of my day-to-day, every day. I also have many wonderful people who surround me who have been affected by trauma, mental illness, and who struggle with their own mental health, so it’s a constant part of life for me. I believe that it’s a part of life for all of us, I just choose to talk about it more and to surround myself with other people who do the same.
Normally, my favorite tools for coping with my mental health struggles are psychiatry and medication, exercise, and socializing. Those have definitely shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic. I haven’t been great about exercising without my usual format. I can’t socialize as much as I used to. I don’t think I have been as good at managing my mental health, which is okay- we have to adjust our expectations given different circumstances. Lately, it’s been therapy, setting boundaries, time with family, getting enough sleep, walking my dogs, and time outside.
So many good things have come out of my mental health journey. My whole career has come out of it! My podcast with Maddie! I’ve made so many friends based on the fact that we have common ground around having struggled with mental health. I truly believe that it is a universal struggle. There is no such thing as a person who is always “mentally healthy”. While I hate the feelings that depression and anxiety bring on while they are there, I don’t hate how they have changed my life and the experiences I have had as a result of them.
If I could speak to my former self when she was at the height of her anxiety, I would say, first and foremost YOUR DOG IS NOT GOING TO DIE. Just kidding. Sort of. I would say: don’t be afraid of medication. Get yourself a good psychiatrist. Advocate for what you need. Realize that you don’t need to feel uncomfortable all the time. Tell people how you are feeling so that they can help you, and realize that it you don’t have to feel this way forever. One of my favorite things to do is listen to podcasts, and one of my favorites is My Favorite Murder. While the podcast isn’t about mental health, they do talk about their own experiences with mental health quite a bit, and they normalize therapy and medication in the process. It’s also something I enjoy listening to if I am struggling because, even though it can be dark, it’s also hilarious, which is a great way to get out of my anxious headspace.
Leora