With an alphabet soup of collected diagnosis that looks
something like this…MDD-OCD-GAD-SPCD-SPS-DMDD-SPD-ADHD-PTSD, you might be
tempted to call us a hot mess. We,
however, prefer the term “neurodiverse.” My particular portion of the alphabet is
MDD-Major Depressive Disorder, and OCD-Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. These are not my favorite genetic gifts. The blue eyes, I was good with. The long
fingers for playing the piano?
Great! But those first two? They have pushed me to the brink, and
threatened to send me over it more times than I can count. While I did not choose for myself or my children
to experience mental illness, I am grateful that we can find meaning in our
experience by sharing what we have learned.
Below are some of my favorite strategies and resources for understanding
and managing mental illness. I hope you find them helpful!
1. Know what you’re up against! Fear and stigma are often the result of
misunderstanding. Learn about your and/or
your loved one’s illness. Spend 5 or 10 minutes on one of the following websites
to get a better understanding of what you’re facing. NAMI The Mighty Child Mind
2. Lifestyle. Ugh. You knew I was coming to this right?! You’ve heard it before, but I will say it
again. Good nutrition, exercise, stress
reduction, less screentime (especially before bed!), self-care/self-compassion and
sleep are critical components of mental health.
Start small. Choose one thing to
focus on at a time. My favorite tool
right now for making lifestyle changes is the Best
Self Journal It is a very simple 3
month journal that uses LOTS of positive psychology strategies such as having a
routine, setting and achieving goals such as habit change, and a twice daily gratitude
reflection.
3. Practice Mindfulness. Simply put, this has been the MOST EFFECTIVE
strategy for me. Mindfulness is being aware of what is happening as it is
happening. This may sound simpe, but
there is a reason it’s called mindfulness “practice!” Spending a few minutes
each day practicing mindfulness can strengthen our ability to remain in the
present, and increase our tolerance for and acceptance of the fact that everyone
experiences negative thoughts and emotions, and it is our reaction to them and
not the thoughts and emotions themselves, that cause significant suffering. Check out the app Headspace to get started-the video’s they
have created provide a visual introduction to how and what mindfulness is.
4. Provide validation and empathy of the experience. Here is a great short animation from Brene
Brown on empathy. Self-compassion,
and compassion from others can be life saving when you have a mental illness. Bottom line?
You, dear friend, are not alone.
5. Because asking “what’s wrong?” does
not always yield an answer that conveys what is being felt, a 1-10
mental health scale can be useful to identify the intensity of what is
being experienced. Similar to taking
someone’s temperature with a thermometer, this tool is meant to illustrate the
amount of suffering occurring, but will not necessarily show the cause of the
suffering.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
