motivation

I want to compile a list of celebs who have been open about their mental health struggles and those who are fighting to bring awareness to it. I count those struggling with addiction as well. #TheMighty #MightyTogether #MentalHealth
#StopTheStigma #Awareness #Celebrities #Hollywood #ActorsWithDisabilities #musicians #artists #Art #craft #Pain #Inspiration #Motivation #creativity

I used to fight mindfulness and my therapist because I didn't see the point. Recently however I have begun to see the benefits of being mindful. I am not saying that I meditate every day but I try to go throughout my day mindfully. Since I enjoy writing I have chosen to do that more mindfully. I realize that I do a lot of emotional dumping which is okay but it doesn't allow me to reflect on my experiences.

I am trying out the DBT skills of being present and nonjudgmental. To be clear, I am not saying that being nonjudgmental means that my abusers get a free pass or anything. Only that I am trying to reflect on the lessons that I've learned. Sometimes I still grieve the loss of an illusion but grief has taught me that love was there once. I can now look back at my experiences and say that things weren't right and that there is no excuse or defense for what happened.

They are responsible for what they did. However their lack of responsibility has no bearing on my healing journey. I choose to be nonjudgmental towards myself for how I reacted to their abuse and how the abuse effects me now as an adult. I choose to be happy and healthy and create a life for myself. Being abused has taught me a lot and I wanted to share those lessons with you.

-Abuse is always a choice.

-Abuse can happen within families.

-Parents aren't perfect.

-Abuse doesn't make you bad.

-The abuse didn't make you stronger, you were already strong.

-Abuse doesn't define you.

-Your thoughts and feelings are valid.

-It is okay to reach out for help.

-It is okay to speak up (if it is safe). Someone will believe you.

-The abuse and its secrets were not yours to bear.

-If your parents were abusive it was not your job to fix them.

-Responsibility lies with the abuser.

Your only responsibility is to heal.

-Your presence means something.

-Cutting out abusive people is okay.

-Love heals, it does not traumatize.

-Never judge yourself for what you survived.

-You are capable of finding meaning in your pain.

If I think of any more I will list them. My hope is that this list helps someone. We are here for each other. Stay focused on the present and if you struggle with PTSD like I do, then accept it and work with it. Not against it. I believe in you. Thanks for believing in me. As always stay safe and seek help if you need to.

#PTSD #SexualAbuse #EmotionalAbuse #Mindfulness #Motivation

I will like to start sharing my thoughts on mental health issues. starting today with how to cope with depression and anxiety I have come up with some strategies that might help others.

1) Stay in touch: You shouldn't withdraw from life because you're depressed. Instead, try to socialize and stay in touch with the people you care about. When you're down, your loved ones and friends will help you get back up.

2) Stay active: I will emphasize on this because exercise is actually one of the best medications for depression. The more you exercise, the better you feel, so I think we should try as much as possible to stay active, even if it is just for 20 minutes a day.

3) Don't drink too much alcohol: Although I am working hard to overcome this, I believe that alcohol does not help us when we are depressed; rather, it makes things worse, so I believe we should not drink more than is necessary for our health.

4) Establish a routine: I believe that having a routine when we are depressed helps us avoid doing things that are unnecessary. It is always a good idea to stick to your routine in order to avoid doing something you will later regret.

5) Learn to meditate: Meditation has been shown to have a positive effect on a depressed brain. I'm not suggesting that we become priests or pastors, but rather that we make as much time as possible for ourselves to connect with this invincible spirit that rules the universe.

6) We should learn to be grateful. Being grateful is one of the most important habits anyone can develop, and being grateful for all the small improvements in your life will undoubtedly elevate you to a higher level, so we should practice gratitude on a regular basis.

7) Seeking help for depression: If you are still feeling down, you should seek help, and you should never be ashamed to do so. You didn't ask to be depressed; it's just the way things are, so if we can't handle our depression, we should seek help.

#Depression #Anxiety #TheMighty #Migraine #ChronicHeadaches #Alcoholism #OccipitalNeuralgia #Meditation #Gratitude #Exercise #Therapy #Motivation

Sometimes I think I’m so done with everything. My anxiety gets in the way of what I want and need to do. It’s begun to take a toll on my physical health. Sometimes I think I’m so done with healing from years of trauma and abuse. I’ve been in therapy for years and while I’ve done well, I sometimes feel like I’m stalling. Sometimes the Bipolar Disorder gets in the way too and having Borderline Personality doesn’t help either. People think I have multiple personalities and I’m tired of explaining that I don’t. Sometimes I’m so done with the mania and depression that I curse myself for having Bipolar. Sometimes I’m so done with the little things, like how mania makes me anxious and how depression makes me borderline suicidal. Sometimes I’m so done with people not listening and not caring (not including my fiancé and his family) just more in general. And sometimes I keep going. I don’t know how or why but I do. I keep getting up and trying to stay active. I try to appear normal. Whatever that means. I try to heal so I don’t mistreat someone else. I try to stay emotionally stable so I don’t appear unbridled. I try to attend therapy so that I can learn skills that will help me. I try to keep up with my meds because apparently if someone with mental illness isn’t medicated, they’re crazy or dangerous. (I personally don’t believe this). So I keep going. And so should you.

#BipolarDisorder #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #Anxiety #SexualTrauma #EmotionalAbuse #GettingHelp #CheckInWithMe #Asthma #physicalhealth #Motivation

Writing is a great outlet to help cope with the #PTSD and with everything else. I've been reading a lot of motivational quotes on how we have control of our futures. As trauma survivors, it's hard for us to think that anything positive can come out of what we've been through. I used to think that way too. Though I still have my bad days, where I still get triggered and feel overwhelmed by my trauma, I can now say that I found a coping mechanism that works. An exercise that I tried in therapy was to rewrite my experience. It helped with the nightmares. For example, if I have a nightmare where my abuser is yelling at me and ignoring what I'm saying. I can rewrite it so that we are having a conversation in which I am being heard. This doesn't mean that you can rewrite the past but it does mean that you can rewrite what bothers you and you can have control of your future. Find a coping skill that works for you and use it to your advantage. You deserve to to be happy and not haunted by your past. You can thrive despite what was done to you-don't let the abusers win. Seek help if you must (which is totally okay) but always keep moving. We are here for each other. Remember that. Write through it. I know you can.

#PTSD #SexualAbuse #EmotionalAbuse #Trauma #Motivation #Writing #coping #Hope #Childhoodtrauma

Here is your inspirational post of the day:

I try to make a concerted effort each day to heal the wounds of the #ChildhoodAbuse and #EmotionalNeglect that I experienced. Yes, the #SexualAbuse and #EmotionalAbuse left their marks on me in the form of #PTSD but that doesn't stop me. In fact receiving a PTSD diagnosis put a lot into perspective for me. It helped me to realize that what I experienced was that bad and it did in fact happen. That all the manipulation and gaslighting were wrong. But this post isn't about emotionally abusive tactics. Each day is a conscious choice to heal or not heal. Each day is a choice to break the cycle of abuse or not break it. Determination has to be what drives you to heal. I am determined to not let the past abuse interfere with my present, to not let it dictate my future. I am determined to heal so I do not pass on what I endured to others. Besides determination you need intrinsic motivation. This may be a bit harder to do because you need to know what drives you. Once you know this you can do just about anything. Remember my post on consistency? You need that too. All these things can help you to lead a fulfilling life despite the past history of abuse. I believe in you, now you have to believe in yourself. You can and will break the cycle of abuse because you can do it, I know you can. If I can do it, then so can you. Sure it takes time and effort but it is worth it. It takes digging up painful memories but it is worth it. You are worth it. So keep striving my friends. You got this.

#SexualAbuse #EmotionalAbuse #EmotionalNeglect #ChildhoodAbuse #Trauma #PTSD #Hope #Healing #Inspiration #Determination #Motivation

As someone with a Bachelor's in English, words and their meanings, as well their usage are important to me. The use of mental illnesses as adjectives for example (she's so Bipolar, he's so OCD) really frustrate me. Most people that engage in this practice have no idea what those illnesses entail. As someone with Bipolar Disorder I can tell you that it is more than mood swings. I do not have OCD but I can relate to those that have PTSD and Borderline Personality Disorder. I was formally diagnosed back in 2019. And yet, people throw those words around without knowing what they truly mean. I'm sure a lot of you feel the same way. Another matter I would like to cover is the use of the word suffering. Suffering implies pain and while certain illnesses involve pain, suffering also implies that it is life long. I disagree. Some illnesses cannot be cured per se but they can be managed and tolerated. Another problem is the usage of the statement I am. (I am Bipolar, Anorexic etc.) You are more than your mental or physical illness. You are not your diagnosis. Instead try saying I have Bipolar or whatever mental or physical illness you have. By making a simple change in how you speak, you can change your whole outlook. You live with your mental illness, you are not the illness. You are a wonderful and resilient person that is thriving despite your illness. Just try changing how you speak and see what happens.

#Abuse #abusesurvivor #PTSD #BipolarDisorder #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #Language #Life #thankful #Motivation #Inspiration