Friends come and go Life flies by right before your eyes. You lose ones you love Yet through it all you still love your life.
People leave you to fight alone You put on a fake smile to hide all your pain Yet someone still knows your hurt.
Through it all you still put on a front to satisfy those around you Thorough it all you wouldn’t change a thing Through it all you wouldn’t trade your life for fame.
You build a wall to try to keep from getting hurt You lock up you heart and throw away the key to see who cares enough to look for the key Through it all there’s not many people that got you to open up yet still you love it all.
Struggles meet you in the face to watch you slip up Yet through it all you wouldn’t change a thing.
Through it all you wouldn’t change a thing Through it all you wouldn’t trade your life for fame.
A few weeks ago, I was invited by my cousin to watch her two children perform in a play and gladly accepted.
I was so looking forward to it and in the morning of the event, I woke up and went to the gym then came back home to have my breakfast.
Soon after breakfast, I felt nauseas and then got physically sick, so I decided to lie down and have a rest.
When I woke up, I started to panic because I was counting down to the time of the play and although I knew that I wasn’t well enough to drive there, I didn’t want to disappoint my family and wanted to at least try.
I hesitated to inform my cousin because a part of me really wanted to go and I felt guilty for cancelling at the last minute, but in the end, I called her and she was very understanding.
After I cancelled, I felt immense relief that I didn’t have to get dressed and drive and I started to ask myself why it had taken me so long to cancel and just rest.
I realised that while i was feeling poorly, I wanted to go to the play because I didn’t want to disappoint my family.
It felt easier for me to go in the state I was in, than to pick up the phone and give an excuse.
I started reflecting on how much I take on because I don’t like to say no and instead end up overwhelmed with tasks that leave me exhausted and unhappy at times.
I realised that the people who do care about my well-being will understand if I can’t do something, so I don’t need to get myself into a panic when it comes to telling them so.
You can not pour from an empty cup
So many of us overstretch ourselves to cater for others and most times get no appreciation for it.
It is necessary to get into the habit of checking how full your cup is, as you can’t fill anyone else’s cup if yours has run dry.
You can do this by practising self-care and listening to your body. If you are constantly feeling tired you are probably running on empty.
You have to learn to put yourself first; contrary to popular belief, it is not selfish to do so.
Show yourself some love before you carry everyone else’s burdens. You can’t look after other people when you neglect yourself.
Tidy up your environment, eat well, sleep well and ensure you get plenty of rest.
You can pace yourself when it comes to doing tasks and have realistic to do lists
Machines need regular maintenance and servicing to ensure that they work properly, the mind and body are the same.
Make sure your cup is full before you pour into someone else’s.
When most people are recovering from mental illness their condition becomes more manageable. It is however important to understand that recovery is an ongoing process and that it is normal to have difficulties and setbacks along the way.
When you have achieved some stability and understand your illness and how to manage it, you have to identify what you need to do in order to stay well.
There are things in our lives that can accelerate mental health problems or impede on recovery.
Below are some examples:
Alcohol
Alcohol affects the nervous system and causes moods to fluctuate.
It is important to limit or avoid alcohol because mental health problems not only result from drinking too much alcohol, they can also cause people to drink too much and make their problems worse. Some people tend to self-medicate with alcohol so that they can sleep or numb their feelings, but then they may wake up feeling worse because alcohol is a depressant which causes moods to fluctuate.
Stress
Stress can be overwhelming, it can cause anxiety and aggravate existing conditions.
Stress can be overwhelming, it can cause anxiety and aggravate existing conditions. Sometimes we set unrealistic deadlines at work or overcommit to our families and not leave enough time for ourselves, then we end up getting stressed. Financial worries can cause stress and some stress can be a cause of mental conditions, but some can make it worse. It is important to identify potential stressors in your life in order to help with your recovery.
Over the counter medication
Taking unprescribed over the counter medications can be as detrimental as not getting treatment.
Most people are not comfortable talking to doctors or taking prescribed medications, so they end up buying over the counter medication to help with their symptoms but that can be as dangerous as not treating it at all. When you see a medical professional, they always ask if you are taking other medication so that they do not prescribe to you something that will counteract with the other. So, when you take other medication that is not prescribed to you, you could make your symptoms worse or take something completely harmful to your health.
Negative thoughts
Negative thoughts and negative company can make you feel worthless
It is common for people with mental health problems to experience negative thoughts and feelings which include but are not limited to sadness, guilt, helplessness and worthlessness and find them hard to shake off which can have detrimental effects on how they function in everyday life.
Negative thoughts can be draining and have you in a constant state of fight or flight which can leave you extremely fatigued.
Isolation
Choosing to be alone and have some downtime is fine but withdrawing and isolation can be detrimental to one’s health
The stigma surrounding mental health can cause somebody with mental health problems to isolate themselves. When someone feels unwanted or unloved, they stay away from people and at times they are just unmotivated to be in social situations.
When one has encountered negative or judgemental people it is natural to prefer to be alone. Choosing to be alone and have some downtime is fine but withdrawal and isolation can be detrimental to one’s health as it can contribute to cardiovascular disease and insomnia which affects how the immune system functions.
Not taking care of yourself
Rest and recharge, the mind needs just as much rest as the body.
Some illnesses may require you to just take medication but mental illness like depression needs you to look after your physical well-being as well.
Self-care is paramount in recovery, one needs to learn and identify what is good and works for them.
Personal care and a clean environment goes a long way in assisting in recovery.
You need to eat well, sleep well, exercise and hydrate, as it has a direct impact on your physical and emotional well being.
