On average, every third person suffers from mental disorder throughout their life. These include obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or addiction to medication, alcohol, or other drugs. Still, the most common disorders are anxiety and depression. This is, however, just the numbers of reported patients. Many people experience the same symptoms but haven’t consulted a doctor or therapist yet.
I myself have been in behavioural therapy for the last 2 ½ years because of severe depression and anxiety. I’ve dealt with self-harm and other unhealthy coping mechanisms for many years, trying to balance my mood swings before eventually deciding to search for professional help. Pivotal for this choice was the time after finishing school. While others finally had the chance to start their lives as adults, focused on their interests and began studying, I struggled. I never thought I had to face these decisions. It got pretty bad, and I couldn’t even bring myself to shower or eat regularly. I slept around 12 to 15 hours a day, cut myself more often, wouldn’t meet my friends anymore, and isolated myself completely. All while drowning in hopelessness and suicidal thoughts.
But I decided to go on, try one last time and battle my illness. So, the first few exhausting months of therapy started. I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t easy, and I had to fully concentrate on getting better and overcome my weaker self. In therapy, you must be 100% honest and open, unscramble every thought and every negative feeling to understand what makes you feel that way and how it affects your everyday life. And that’s a lot of work. But I also learned a lot, and I want to share that knowledge with people that might need it.
So, in the following blog entries, I want to tell you guys a little bit more about what I’ve learned while dealing with depression, what helped me and might help others. Every two weeks, I will pick a different topic, for example, sports, food, and other small tips that had a positive effect on my mental health. It can be quite specific concerning issues like self-harm or more general things like ways to reduce or deal with stress.
I hope I can help some people, no matter if they’re suffering from a mental disorder or live a stressful life. I’m very excited to share my experiences with you!
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