This one is quite a biggie so.. please bEAR with me..
Okay so, as you can probably already tell by the title of this blog post, I would like to talk about metal health. Not because I like talking about it, but because I find it very important and there can never be enough posts about how incredibly important mental health is.
Disclaimer: I am NOT mentally healthy therefore I kinda know what I'm talking about.. At least in THIS case. This is kind of important for me so please read until the end.. <3
Also just to put it out there. I wanted to make this post because I feel like this could maybe help someone, because things like that helped me. In this post I want to talk about mental disorders, mostly Depressions and any kind of Anxiety.
I did a lot of research for this so if you want me to talk about other mental illnesses just let me know and I'm gonna do it!!
Okay so, Let's just start off with the question:
"What are mental disorders?"
Well.. According to Urban Dictionary it's "when somthing fucks up with the brain thingies in your head" which is pretty accurate if you ask me. It's basicially when your head makes you think of stuff that is not true..I'm the worst person to describe this.. Basicially there are many mental disorders and every single one makes you feel something different and it laso makes your actions different.
For example: Depressions
There are many different states of depression and to be honest the describtions at Urban Dictionary are pretty good so.. The many many states include, according to Urban Dictionary [X2]:
1) Sadness, tearfulness, crying. Also, crying for no apparent reason.
2) Hopelessness feeling that life is not worth living or worth the effort to even maintain their appearance. They may believe that a negative situation will never change and be pessimistic about their future.
3) Less interest in activities or not enjoying previously favorite activitie. Dropping out of clubs, sports, and other activities. Nothing seems fun anymore.
I kinda want to wrap it up here even though there are so many more states but I think it'd be too long for this post so I'm gonna leave it here. BUT I also found this one on Urban Dictionary and I think it summs its up quite good so [X3]:
"A feeling which makes you think there is no hope, no way to survive, and no point in carrying on this charade you call a life. A feeling which is so emotionaly pressing, you feel as if you're going to explode with tears."
So if you ever felt like that or feel like that right now, please go and tell someone about it. Maybe one of your friends? If you feel like no one is "friend" enough for you to tell them maybe your parents? If you feel like your parents aren't parents enough maybe a teacher? And if you feel like a teacher would make everything worse.. Please go and see a doctor or a therapist. If you feel like that would make you a freak..No! There is no such thing as "ugh, s/he's going to the therapist.. what a freak"No! Just no. It is so strong, I can't put it in words. It makes you one of the strongest people ever, even if you don't feel like that. Please always remember that
It's so strong to reach out for help.
It's the strongest thing anyone could do to be honest..
Now onto the next mental disorder, which is what I also have to suffer with, so there's probably going to be more information about it than depressions.. sorry.
Anxiety
There are so many states of anxiety, I don't think I'll be able to list all of them but let me just tell you about what I found about anxiety to summarize this whole disorder..
Anxiety, within reason, is just a part of life; everybody experiences at some point. It is connected to the fight or flight syndrome that we, as have all animals, have deep within us, enabling us to survive.
Some sympthoms of anxiety are:
- Feeling of losing control or going crazy.
- Heart palpitations or chest pain.
- Feeling like you're going to pass out.
- Trouble breathing or choking sensation.
- Hyperventilation.
- Hot flashes or chills.
- Trembling or shaking.
- Surge of overwhelming panic, so like.. panic attacks.
Now panic attacks are, according to Urban Dictionary "The worst, most uncomfortable thing that could ever happen to someone. (Death comes a close second)" and I agree. [X]
They just make you feel uncomfortable and sick and they make you cry and sometimes pass out and.. they're just the worst. So I made the effort to give you a little guide on "What To Do If You Have A Panic Attack". I hope it's helpful!
According to this website [here] there are 5 steps on overcoming panic attacks.
It's called "5 Steps of Aware"
These 5 Steps are:
Acknowledge & Accept
Evereything starts here: One of the most important steps, so DO NOT SKIP IT !
Basicially, don't think "This is not happening! This is not happening!" and try to stop it by thinking about how "this is not happening right now!" Don't think about being scared to panic. Acknowledge it and accept it. But don't acknowledge that you're in danger because you're not! Acknowledge the fact that you're afraid. The thought that you're in danger is just another sympthom of panic, so like, not an important or an useful thought, if you ask me.
Wait
This is similar to the suggestion "count to ten before you get mad". Don't just continue or start doing something!
When you react before you have the chance to think straight, what do you do?
Well most people just flee or struggle, which doesn't sound pretty comforting, does it? Things like that actually make it even worse. This is also what people mean when they say things like "I know I'm doing it to myself" and fact is: the harder they try, the worse it gets. So just don't. Even though you have the urge to leave this state, please don't. But don't get me wrong here. Please keep that option open so you don't feel trapped but please just stay in the situation. You don't need to run away! Let the relief come to you!
Actions ( to make yourself more comfortable )
At this point you already gone throught the two most important steps to overcome panic attacks! But now here's the question: What's Your Job During an Attack?
The answer is simple: It's not your job to overcome the panic attack! That will happen to you no matter what you do. It's gonna be over at some point. Your only job now is to see if you can make yourself more comfortable, while you wait for the attack itself to end.
A few techniques are the "Belly Breathing", Talking to yourself, Get involved in the Present and Work with your body. Now.. Let me explain them to you!
"Belly Breathing" is also called "diaphragmatic breathing" but like.. Belly breathing sounds better and simpler, doesn't it? Many people think it's just deep breathing, and that's basicially true but those people don't really know how to breath deeply and correclt. A good breathing techinique is super powerful and it's one very important tool to overcome panic attacks.
Talking to yourself ( silently! ) is as simple as it sounds. Talk to yourself about what is happening right now. Don't tell yourself that it's over soon. Don't put your body under pressure. Tell yourself that this is happening right now and that you're gonna get through this because you're strong! Don't think "what if...?" Answer this fearful question with "So what? I'll get afraid and then I'll calm down again!" You can do this!!
Get Involved in the Present. That means basicially, that people normally don't panic in the present. They panic when they imagine something bad happening to them in the future or in the past. That is why you mostly ask yourself the fearful "what if...?" question. The reason you say "what if...?" is because your fear is not actually going to happen, you just don't really know that. So get back and get involved with the present, the people, the objects around you and the place you are. I promise it will move you closer to your goal of overcoming panic attacks.
Work with your body: Identify, and relax, the parts of your body that get most tense during a panic attack. Typicially this involves tensing and then relaxing the muscles of your jaw, neck, shoulders, back and legs. Do not allow yourself to stand rigid, muscles tensed, and holding your breath. That'll just make you feel worse! If you feel like you can't even move one muscle, just start with one finger. It will get easier!
Repeat
This step is here because you might start feeling better and then you feel another wave of panic. Your first reaction might be "Oh [insert favourite swear word], it didn't work!" This step is here to remind you that it's okay if that happens! Just take it from the top again. It's not unusual or dangerous. You might even have to get through seven or eight cyrcles but that's okay! Repeat the AWARE steps again and take your time! Take as long as you need!
End
This step is here to remind you that your panic attack will end. That all panic attacks end. That they end regardless of how you respond; that it's not your job to make it go away and that your only job is to make yourself as comfortable as possible while waiting for the attack to end itself.
Maybe next time you get thoughts like "Will this ever end?" your answer is gonna be a clear "Yes! Yes, it will!"
So these are the 5 Steps of Aware! I really really hope they kinda helped you. ( if you want I can make a completely new post about those 5 Steps of Aware, just to make it easiert for you to find them later. Please, let me know! <3 )
I think I'm gonna wrap it up here because this is quite a lot but let me know if I forgot something or didn't point out the most important things.. Just please let me know!
Also, if you think you could have a mental disorder please talk to someone about it. It could help a lot, even if you don't think it would. Please just try it. Also, if you feel like you can't talk to anyone: Come and talk to me! I am never going to ignore anything, I promise. Talk to me whenever you like. All my social media links are gonna be at the very end at this post. Please trust me that you can trust me. I've been there. ( I'm still there. ) I know what I'm talking about ( kinda ) and I would love to help someone. So please don't be shy.
If you don't wanna talk to anyone of your friends or family or school or me, why don't you just talk to someone on the internet? I know this website "7 Cups of Tea" ( because I am also a helper on this website and I sometimes chat with people ). I am guaranteing you that this actually will help! Just believe in yourself! <3
Also please make sure to, no matter what you do, think about yourself first! There is no such thing as being selfish when it's about mental health. You have to think about yourself and put yourself before anything and anyone! You're the most important human! Know that.
Also please make sure to, no matter what you do, think about yourself first! There is no such thing as being selfish when it's about mental health. You have to think about yourself and put yourself before anything and anyone! You're the most important human! Know that.
Be strong! Because I know you are!
Please let me know what you think of my blog post. Was it helpful? Was it informational? Did you learn something? Did you miss something important that I should totally add to this ( because if that's the case I'm going to make a part 2 ) ? Just let me know in the comments below! <3
Here are all my social media links:
also my Gmail: lisa.miklusch@gmail.com ( please don't forget to make sure that I know that you're from here so write something in the little subject line! <3 )
I'd love to help you.
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