You can recover from mental health issues, all it takes is determination and lots of time! We are all different and recover at our own pace, but it can be done, as I have seen it, not just in myself but in others.
The WANT needs to be there. You need to WANT to get better, after that, it will fall into place.
I try to be as optimistic as possible, it is in my genes. The extensive counselling I have received since I was 17 yrs old has helped me with this situation, no doubt about that. I have picked up numerous tricks that help me gain focus and go where I need to be. The internet and ease of access to so much information is also a very helpful tool that I didn’t have before. Once you know a lot of the terms and recognize the symptoms, you can use the articles to help you.
My strong support system, especially my husband, is also one of the most important things I have had throughout my life. My family, and our history with mental health, as my Mom was an advocate for mental health for many years and held many positions with various agencies like CHANNEL and CMHA. The benefits I also gained during my first bout with Trauma, also helped me greatly, as Trauma is not new to me.
When you are experienced with Trauma already, you can tell some of the signs, so you are more experienced with it and how to get thru it.
Yes, it is terrible to have to learn these things, but I have come to see my education is for MY protection and I will do anything I have to do to ensure that. I have a right to live my life and not worry about the nasty judgments made by Toxic Tenant Bullies about me, as it really is none of their business. They have no place in my life and have no authority over anything I do, or don’t.
Education is the key, learn about Narcissism, Adult Bullies, Tyrants, Toxic People, smear campaigns, gaslighting, triangulation, manipulation, word salad, projection, and anything you can find to teach yourself the traits and tactics they use to confuse you and bring you down.
I know that without my earlier education on mental health issues, I would not be here today. I know that much about myself and what I went thru in Ontario over the past few yrs. It was the most devastating experience of my life and I lost a lot in the process. In the end, though, I am in a better place and I am way happier now than if I had stayed in Ontario. I may have lost, but I gained so much more! I gained peace of mind and that is priceless! I have no fear anymore of people and places.
I am off today with some people to check out a HUGH Market that has been set up for local vendors, craftsmen, and artisans. Must be about 50 local people and businesses being showcased today at this Market and they expect quite a turnout.
This act for me today is BIG and something I would not even have considered doing a year ago! But, today I can say I feel no anxiety over the thought of it, let alone doing it. I am excited about it! Never know, I might even make more friends!
What does positive mental health look like?
Mental health is more than just the absence of mental illness.
Positive mental health and well-being are a combination of feeling good and functioning well. Important components include:
- experiencing positive emotions: happiness, joy, pride, satisfaction, and love
- having positive relationships: people you care for, and who care for you
- feeling engaged with life
- meaning and purpose: feeling your life is valuable and worthwhile
- a sense of accomplishment: doing things that give you a sense of achievement or competence
- emotional stability: feeling calm and able to manage emotions
- resilience: the ability to cope with the stresses of daily life
- optimism: feeling positive about your life and future
- self-esteem: feeling positive about yourself
- vitality: feeling energetic.
How can I cultivate my mental health?
Your mental health is shaped by social, economic, genetic and environmental conditions. To improve mental health within society at large, we need to address the social determinants of poor mental health, including poverty, economic insecurity, unemployment, low education, social disadvantage, homelessness and social isolation.
On an individual level, there are steps you can take to optimize your mental health. The first step is identifying your existing support networks and the coping strategies that you’ve used in the past.
There are also small things you can do to improve your mental health and help you to cope in tough times, such as:
- helping others
- finding a type of exercise or physical activity you enjoy (like yoga)
- getting good sleep
- eating healthy food
- connecting with others, building and maintaining positive relationships
- learning strategies to manage stress
- having realistic expectations (no one is happy and positive all the time)
- learning ways to relax (such as meditation)
- counteracting negative or over-critical thinking
- doing things you enjoy and that gives you a sense of accomplishment.
How do I know if I need extra support?
Regardless of whether you are experiencing a mental illness, everyone has the right to optimal mental health. The suggestions above can help everyone improve their mental health and well-being, and help is available if you’re not sure how to get started.
However, when distress or poor mental health is interfering with our daily life, work, study or relationships, these suggestions may not be enough by themselves and additional, individualized treatment may be needed.
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