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The luxury of moving forward is it feels different and new.

the problem with that is when we move backward we remember everything that has set us back before.

different feels scary, even if it's good.

Different feels like we may fall off a cliff or a high place and hit bottom and it will be worse than if we never tried it at all.

Going forward it's important to remember going forward - it won't always feel good. It can feel scary, uncomfortable and downright unpleasant.

You can question if it's right to invest energy in.
You can convince yourself it's safer and easier for people around you.

Don't push yourself backwards for comfort. Pushing yourself with enough force in the wrong direction ensures you've padded your old landing.

You don't need your padding behind you. You need it infront of you. Every inch of the way you need to keep it infront of you.

You might cry when you touch it, and that's okay.
You may not like the padding you have - it may feel rough or scratchy.

You can use it, until it doesn't help you. Instead of giving up, make more padding.

Better and softer padding, springy padding.

It matters where you go - and how you get there.

If moving forward is scary, look at why.
Adjust.
Show yourself you can do those things. #Autism #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #Healing #MightyPoets #mightycontributors

Therapy: Cure and healing

Therapy is there to provide care and healing, possibly providing a cure for an ailment. There is hundreds of types of therapy.

Why in the world is it 2019 - we know mental health is vital in physical health, yet people still suffer stigma associated with 'therapy'?

Mental wellness requires work, having a mental illness doesn't mean you're unhealthy. Likewise, having no signs of mental Illness doesn't mean you are healthy.

Therapy is vital in understanding why your brain does what it does, it will cloak itself so you won't always see it. Seeking a counselor to assist you in seeing those cogs in that machine can provide growth, safety and healthier living.

Therapy also isn't for the faint of heart. You will address and be shown things you see are dysfunctional and damaging - if you survive that you'll also be shown skills and new ways to adapt to them or change them.

These skills are vital. Stigmatizing getting help as a sign of weakness or a point of comparison needs to stop. It serves no good to the people airing those judgements as it doesn't aid in being accepting. That is not mental wellness. That is deterioration over a long period of time that others need to wade through when they could be improving themselves.

It's mental health day.
Why do we only funnel money into one day, when we could be practicing awareness and support every day.

Stop stigmatizing treatment, care, adaptation, learning, affection, support, independence and self-worth.

None of those things should feel bad. #mightycontributors

Hi everyone!

Some of you know me already, but allow me to introduce myself. I’m Matt, contributing editor in The Mighty’s mental health section. Hello!

Many of you have expressed a desire to peek behind the editorial curtain This is especially true when we change elements of your articles but haven’t explained why such as style and language choices That’s why we want to reintroduce #WritersWednesday .

Every week a Mighty editor will post an editorial topic for discussion You can ask questions and we’ll do our best to answer You can even pitch your own questions for us and we might cover them in upcoming weeks Cool right Just follow the #WritersWednesday hashtag to keep up to date.

Without further ado here’s this week’s topic — writing about #Suicide.

Writing about suicide can be really, really tricky. Studies have shown a link between certain types of suicide coverage in the media and increased suicide rates among vulnerable people. So, there’s a fine balance between talking about the emotions you’ve gone through without unintentionally triggering others who also experience suicidal thoughts or ideation. Even with trigger warnings on sensitive pieces, it’s important to try to follow these recommendations in your pieces about suicide, whether you post on The Mighty or on your own blogs. Together, we can eliminate the stigma around talking about suicide while limiting any negative effects it might have on vulnerable people.

Here’s a short list of rules for you to follow:

- Do not mention method of suicide, including vague references to tools used in suicide attempts. Also, don’t suggest a method might be “easier” or “painless” compared to another.

- Do not say “commit” or “committed” suicide. This term relates back to when suicide was considered a crime or sin. (Interesting fact, the term shares the same Latin suffix -cide, meaning “to kill,” as in regicide — murder of a king.)

- Instead of “successful,” “unsuccessful” or “failed attempt,” say “died by suicide,” “completed suicide,” “uncompleted” or “killed themselves.”

- Avoid sensationalized language such as “epidemic” or “skyrocketing” for changes in suicide rates. Instead, use non-sensational language such as “rising” or “higher.”

I know this might seem like talking about suicide in a super-clinical way, but it’s possible to discuss suicide in a respectful manner while remaining cautious of what might affect other sensitive people.

So I’ve rambled on for long enough Please don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts or questions below Also if you have any ideas for future #WritersWednesday discussions post them below and we’ll add them to our list! :) Don't forget to follow the hashtag to keep up with future posts.

Thanks, everyone! Keep on being your fantastic Mighty selves.

Lots of love,

Matt

#MentalHealth #ChronicIllness #RareDisease #mightycontributors

Hey TheMighty! I know you are working so hard to create and maintain this wonderful platform of support for so many people! You are such a wonderful team, I look forward to seeing your emails in my inbox and the articles so comforting. One of the awesome features from the website that I’d love to see incorporated into the app is the ability to see “The Storie you Love” list on app version. That would make those wonderful articles easier to access and share. Thank you again for everything you do for #TheMighty #Gratitude #mightycontributors

Hi Mighty Community, I received good news today that lifted my #MentalHealth and that is allowing me to take my Career in an excellent direction! More to come in the weeks ahead, but life is looking up for me! I am continuing to heal from #PTSD #Anxiety and #Depression Please send #GoodVibes my way and Thanks for being able to #CheckInWithMe #mightycontributors #MightyTogether

I hope many #mightywarriors out there had a positive, eventful weekend. If you did, you might start paying for it today, like having to sit while brushing your teeth or (like me) drying your hair. Lots of love to all of you. Hey, I watched my nephew play football. I went on the hunt for the perfect Halloween costume, and stalked a store for the perfect new but vintage looking desk lamp, and now my body is telling me to take it easy.

I can do that. I'm okay. Many hobbies I can do from the couch! Take care. You're not alone. Do what your body needs.
#ChronicIllness
#mightycontributors #Disability

There are many illnesses deemed “invisible.” It’s termed when someone who is sick doesn’t look sick. But what I’ve come to learn is that many people want sick people to be invisible too. I accommodated that for a long time. It took me years to want any online platform like Facebook, even to connect with family out of state. I wanted to hide just as much as I thought the world wanted me to. Now I’m trying to be as unapologetic about being me as I can. This wasn’t my fault, and I’m not less than anyone. Sure there are things about my life I wish I could change, but can’t everyone say that? My journey really is about living with the disease and overcoming it in any way I can to find my piece of normal.

But that doesn't mean it's easy...

I’m embarrassed because I, with no education, am sending out book queries to people who have graduated from Harvard and Oxford. Some have degrees from multiple Ivy League schools, and that causes me to want to curl up in a ball, read a fantasy, and escape into another world.

I can’t explain to everyone that trying when you want to give up and believing in yourself more than your circumstances are accomplishments. I can’t explain that I’m adept at figuring out how to get things done, as I think a lot of sick people have learned to be. I can’t explain that as hard as I’ve worked to get where I’m at health wise is as hard as I would work for them.

I’m constantly second guessing what I say online about my life and health, often hiding away things like this. If they don’t like my book, that’s completely ok. If they’re scared to work with someone who is sick…well…there isn’t much I can do about that, but it’s a very defeating and vulnerable position to be in.

However, I still have a mind, value, and things to offer. I just can’t tell you where I went to school, where I work, or whom I’m dating. And surely we can come up with something more interesting to talk about than that.

Most importantly, I no longer hide. I may not be able to explain my circumstances to everybody, but I can also say I don’t want to, because I’m more than my circumstances. I think we all put too much emphasis on labels. They’re something to grab onto and to understand, I know. The only problem with that is: I’m not CFS. I’m not invisible. My name is Sage, and I will always be thankful to meet you with a smile on my face, a laugh in my heart, and my own words coming out of my own mouth.

For anyone dealing with any “invisible illness:” stay visible. The world needs you too!

#mightycontributors

#InvisibleIllness

#CFS

#ChronicIllness 

#MightyTogether 

#ChronicFatigueSymdrome

Our wonderful contributors are always looking for ideas so they can bring you stories about topics and themes you care about. What do you want to see more posts about on The Mighty?

#MentalHealth #ChronicIllness #Depression #RareDisease #Disability #ChronicPain #MightyTogether #MightyPoets #ThisIsMyStory #mightywriters