feeling calm, serene, just outright ok. Recovery and progress and climbing to the top of the well. The well doesn't feel so deep either. #Sobriety #Recovery #mentalwellness #mentalwellbeing #Depression #anxietyreduction
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When does it slow down?
Does it ever get tired?
Why me?
What’s wrong with me?
Ever since I was let go from my job in an email no less, the only place someone could find me is at home. I don’t go anywhere unless I absolutely have to, and even with that, Hunter my #esa dog HAS to be with me with one of my sons to keep me calm while I drive. My sons help me a lot which I’m always grateful, but I also feel guilt of having to ask them to help me with things I should be able to do myself.
If home delivery is possible and at a reasonable price, I would do that instead of saving even more money by going myself. I haven’t seen my PCP since I think October, and I haven’t been in a dentist chair close to a year. Besides my grandma and my two sons who live with me, I’m only fully comfortable being face to face with my best friend who I’ve known since we were basically in diapers, and she’s the only one I’d let come over to my house uninvited.
I get #Anxiety thinking of other uninvited guests. I get anxiety when my phone rings, or when I receive mail. I get anxiety when my mom or aunt asks me through text what’s going on with me.
I get #PTSD when random thoughts of disasters enter my mind… fire, tsunami, the mountains I live between erupting, or thoughts of what if whenever my sons want to go out (I still let them, but it annoys me that I have to tell them to text me to and from places so I know they’re okay). When I think of people I knew that passed from illnesses that were caught too late, which turns to me thinking what if it happens to me. Then to me not wanting anything to happen because I don’t ever want to leave my sons.
Having my sons changed a lot of how I think, and my #mentalwellbeing doesn’t take me to that dark place like it used to way before I became a mom. I want to stay here and see my boys excel in life and grow up to be amazing men. I want to see them have their own family… I seen too many loved ones dying to not want that happen to myself.
I’m trailing off again, so I’m going to put on soothing music and lay down with my dog Hunter… did I mention that late at night by myself, I sometimes feel alone?
Anyway… I’m always wishing for anyone dealing with similar things, wishing them #Positivity and #strength to tackle each day one at a time. #weareloved #wematter #wearenotdefinedbyourillness #EndTheStigma #mentalhealthmatters #MentalHealthAwareness
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“I wish people could understand that the brain is the most important organ of our body. Just because you can’t see mental illness like you could see a broken bone, doesn’t mean it’s not as detrimental or devastating to a family or an individual.”…. Demi Lovato
I personally always try to keep in mind, try to help, try to understand the problems faced by those who are fighting with mental health issues. l, myself, dealing with anxiety, panic attacks and depression so I can say that I understand these conditions better than other mental health issues.
I’m not debating here or exaggerating the fact which is worse mental health issues or physical health issues, but the ground reality, we all know that , stigma related to physical health issues is less than that related to mental illnesses.
Its my personal observation, experience and perspective that mostly family and friends avoid those who are dealing with mental illness, reason is ‘coz of stigma attached to it , that such people are always in negative zone and funny part is they think mental illness is contagious too. If they keep in touch with such people during their low levels, they get infected too, by negativity and toxicity.
Nobody wants that, though its not practically possible for anyone to be in zone full of positivity and optimism, but ‘coz being positive, optimistic are so much overrated concepts these days and yes, its part of social status too, the ‘in thing’ to talk/show in so called intellectual lobbies of society. But,everyone of YOU, who avoid us don’t know that ” We, who suffer from mental illness are stronger than you think. We fight to go to work, care for our families, be there for our friends and act ‘normal’ while battling unimaginable pain”.
Even in cases, where we are being neglected, leave us alone…most of us, are there for people around us ,’coz we believe that everyone is fighting their own battles, we respect it even if we are not able to understand it and above all, we know better than others that whether its being asked or not, we all need someone by our side. We believe its not okay to leave someone alone in their negative phase of life just ‘coz we want to safeguard our so called positivity!!
We don’t need much from you, What we need is your little understanding and acceptance that people dealing with mental health issues are not faking it, we have no intentions to drag you in our negativity or toxicity zone , we just need you by our side during our low phase, sometimes a listening ear, a shoulder to lean on, hands who hold ours to give warmth, love, feeling and assurance that we are not alone. What we need is your empathy and not sympathy.
And in case, if you can’t do this much, its a humble request that, please leave from our lives, it will be less painful than the dealing with situations where you stay with us during positive times and vanish during low phases…. pratyaya singh#MentalHealth #Stigmas #Love #Acceptance #help #Anxiety #Beingalone #mentalwellbeing
It’s a phrase I am sure we have all heard, ‘it’s ok to not be ok’. And as someone who advocates for mental health and who has a bipolar diagnosis, I am the first to admit there are times I have not been ok. But how comfortable are we sharing that in the workplace? And who here has not been ok, but not felt able to voice that at work?
I have been through some real low points in my life on my journey to balanced mental health, I have been in the darkest moments and still wiped the tears, put on concealer and walked into the office like I am ok because I know that taking time off will be seen as weakness and that my manager would judge me for it. So instead I go in pretending that I didn’t cry the whole night, that every breath I took didn’t hurt and that I wasn’t clinging to life by a fingertip. And in the process I have been pushing myself closer to exhaustion and closer to the edge which inevitably once I slip off it is a long climb back up. That may seem extreme but the truth is that I have been honest in the past, I have said ‘actually I am feeling incredibly depressed and anxious and I just need to have a few days to sleep, to walk, to stop the cycle’ and I have been made to feel like a liability and I, despite having low absence, have felt like it has hung over me ever since. In the past it certainly hasn’t been ok to say I am not ok without significant impact on my career. I am lucky to now have grown as a person and in my acceptance of my mental health and its limits, but also to have an employer that makes me feel empowered to be who I am and that has been down to some amazing managers too.
The truth is we ALL have mental health, we can all be honest and say we have good days and we have days where we just aren’t doing so well. For some those bad days might be debilitating, for others they may be able to fake it through and for a lucky few it might just be a bad day and tomorrow will be good again. But although a lot of how someone recovers from those bad days is down to themselves seeking help and support or knowing self care, the reaction and support of employers plays a vital role in their recovery or ability to return to work.
When someone is brave enough to disclose they are not doing ok, in our personal lives we all want to be that person that can support, we all want to be that person who is there for someone in their lowest moments and give them hope to get through the day. I doubt many of us would roll our eyes and think, what a pain! But how many of us can say the same in the workplace?
So we probably all agree that if a friend or loved one was struggling we would want to help. But here is the issue, what would you think if someone said that they were struggling with their mental health to you as a manager? Would you see the strength of someone who is aware of their mental health and able to be honest and open? Or would you see weakness? Something you don’t know how to handle? Maybe even a lame excuse from someone not cut out for the job? Or would you maybe think about the issues their absence causes you? The cost of absence, the inconvenience of rearranging meetings, finding cover or covering workload? The problem is it is not just a case of agreeing or accepting time off, it’s giving that person the reassurance, hope and belief that not only do you care about them as an employee but you want them to know there is no judgement and you support them.
I have experienced both types of managers and no suprise which one I had more respect for and flourished under.
Chasing someone for a return date, telling them how inconvenient it is, giving them the cold shoulder, refusing to invest in their development or being angry or even discussing or threatening performance management is not going to get that employee back to work quicker. Instead you are adding to their anxieties, their feeling of hopelessness and to their despair and they are more likely to have extended absence. Not only that, but you are treading a fine line that I personally see as morally and ethically questionable and certainly unlikely to generate a healthy, happy workforce. Mental illness should not be treated differently to physical illness, and it also should be considered whether or not their mental health condition is a protected characteristic and as such protected by law.
Businesses need to start thinking of mental wellbeing as part of their workplace offer. Training mental health first aiders, having access to assistance programs, training for line managers and having a culture of open conversations about mental health all will help. Where my manger has offered support, talked openly about mental health and given me the respect to manage my condition myself and seek support where needed I have had fewer absences, my work is of a higher quality, I am more engaged and I am happier in my workplace. We all benefit from that! Productivity is higher, engagement is higher, career development is more sustained and progressive and objectives are met.
So maybe we should ve asking ‘is it ok not to be ok in my workplace?’ and if the honest answer is no maybe its time to address that. Maybe the conversation shouldnt stop at ‘its ok not to be ok’ perhaps it should be followed by ‘what do you need? how can I help?’.
As mangers we are part of the answer to that question and as human beings we have a responsibility to our fellow humans to make a world that is kinder.
#MentalHealth #Work #Workplace #Anxiety #Bipolar #Bipolar2 #BipolarDepression #Depression #MoodDisorders #mentalwellbeing
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Just found out what this is. Essentially it’s when you’re stuck in a cycle putting up with different people but the same triggers and attitude and the cycle won’t stop until you’ve learned your lesson. I’ve had to learn this the hard way. #checkin #karmiclesson #mentalwellbeing
#ChronicFatigue #Spirituality #checkin #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #imbalance #Depression #Anxiety #ChronicDepression #Karma #learnsomethingnew #thirdeye
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A little while ago I posted about how I'm still in love with my ex-boyfriend. I have now come to the conclusion that I was confusing my emotions. I did love him. I was in love with him, and I loved him with my whole heart and more. But our opinions are so different and how we think if so different, it never would've worked. And I'm okay with this, honestly. The reason I titled this "I feel so stupid and so ridiculous. *forehead smack* " is because I think that by the end, I knew that we weren't meant to be together, and through that, I began lusting for him. I've never wanted to have sex with anybody before. It was never something I thought about. My friends all talk about when they wanna lose their v-card and I just wasn't worried about it, never really cared. And then I met him. He opened up a new part of me and I confused lust for love in the end. I told him about it and he said it was weird, which I expected. Because it is kind of weird. However, it is how I feel. When l lose my virginity I want it to be with somebody I love, somebody who truly loves me. And that's where my thoughts stopped and I wondered. Because he just wants to lose it. He doesn't care if he's dating the girl or if he loves her. He said that it would help, but he doesn't care. Knowing this, and knowing how I feel about him work perfectly hand in hand. I think that because I was in such a state of learning that I wasn't completely broken (via him) that I was in a "fog" so to say, as to where I believed that I was going to, and wanted to spend my life with him. I don't want that. I want someone who is like him, but also completely different. I'm not sure that I want him even just as a friend in my life right now, but I know that he's in my life as he is for a reason. I believe that everything happens for a reason. So he is in my life, and me in his for a reason, whether this reasoning has happened yet or not is unknown, but we will learn soon enough. Either way, my point here is that I have finally learned how to evaluate my emotions to a point where I can look at them and know exactly how I feel. And I am very proud of this. 😁🥰
#psychology #encouragingWords #encouragementquotes #encoragement #positivequote #PositiveThinking #quittingisnotanoption #MentalIllness #dontgiveup #MentalHealth #mentalhealthmatters #InvisibleIllness #mentalwellbeing #inspirational #inspirationalquote #Therapy #psychology #LGBTQ #Depression #Anxiety #Love #mensuck #Love #lusting #movingforward #teenagers #Toxic #Boyfriend #Ex #exboyfriend #Depression #Journaling #DistractMe #BipolarDisorder #selfcare #MightyPoets #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #letstalkdepression #PTSD #WorkingOnIt #growing
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