darkestelemental616:

merindab:

wearitcounts:

so it kind of seems like there’s a really polar disparity between the two tones of public expressions of experience with mental wellness and mental illness i see most often, like, either someone is really and truly suffering in a lasting and difficult to combat sort of way and needs to talk about it, or someone has come out the other side of that kind of situation and everything is !!! wonderful! and while both of these are important and valid experiences to share, and i’ve been on either end of this spectrum, i feel like there’s another part of this experience that doesn’t get as much play and is actually kind of important to hear

i suffer from mental illness and have spent the last year of my life getting my shit together surrounding that particular part of me. and things got better slowly, and then they got really good, really great, even, for a long time, and i was a very big advocate of sharing my experience in the hope it might help others, and i still am

but also want to call attention to right now: i’m kinda having a shitty year so far, yeah we’re only two months in but it’s just not been Great, and there are some days when things happen that really get me anxious and upset. thing is, after all the work i did to get to the really amazing place, this place is actually kinda bearable

like, by no means is it pleasurable or somewhere i aim to stay, but my ability to absorb, process, react, and respond to negative situations is So Much Improved by my journey toward mental wellness. for the first time i’m facing the kinds of things that, while they might have sent me to bed for a week a few years ago, i’m able to bounce back from really quickly, try to move toward positive progress and get myself out of a bad situation

anyway just like, here’s some verbal vomit about what happens after you do all the Work to get better, and still, life gives you shit. you’ve already given yourself the backup and support you need to deal with Shit when it inevitably reemerges

i just want to second this. This last year was really hard but I handled it so much better then I would have Before. And things are still rough, I had two wonderful crying bouts today and i’ve been having trouble getting out of bed. But I also know that it will get better and it’s just my brain acting up plus stress.

Thirding this, because even with medication and therapy moving me past random crying bouts and suicidal ideation, it’s still tough because dealing with mental illness is all too often a constant process. One thing gets dealt with, more pop up in its place like the worst kind of mental hydra. 

I find the best way to deal with the bad days is to look back and say ‘well, at least I’ve made a little progress’. Not always applicable to everyone, but…yeah.