5 Lessons I Learned Batting My Mental Illness
lisatarkingtonIt may not get better in a day, days, weeks, even months, or years, but eventually it does. You just have to hold onto the people and things that make you feel something.
Growing up with a mental illness many people made it seem like this illness weakened me, when all along it only made me stronger. There are many days when I feel that this illness is stronger then myself, but than I realize I’m not isolated even if I feel I’m all alone. If I had to give advice to anyone struggling with any mental illness they would be as followed.
1) You will not be able to heal if you give up on yourself.
Giving up is always going to be the easier option, but is giving up really worth it? Sometimes you’re going to feel like the world is working against you, but your working against yourself. Your mind isn’t giving up on you, and neither is your body. Often times you may feel that you have failed as being a daughter, son, friend, student, etc. Sometimes giving up means no one gets to see the pain your actually in. Explaining something someone else doesn’t feel is the hardest thing your have to do, but its the start to healing. Accepting is always the beginning of your journey to wellness. Your family and friends won’t always understand you, its time to explain to your loved ones.
2) You are loved.
You may not love yourself at the moment, but this doesn’t mean others don’t love you. You don’t truly hate yourself, you just want to be what you think is, “normal.” If you truly hated yourself you wouldn’t be struggling so much, because you would have given up completely. You will never be able to see how many peoples lives you influenced by small gestures. Leaning on your love ones doesn’t make you weak. Everyone needs help at some point in their lives. We are only human, and we make mistakes.Often times we need to get our strength from others when we feel we have none left.
3) Death is permanent.
You may feel like you don’t want to be alive anymore. That you simply don’t want to exist. You are tired of feeling nothing at all, or too much at once. I can’t say dying hasn’t crossed your mind, because it has mine. This isn’t because I want to kill myself, but because I just don’t want to live this way. It will get better, give it time.
4) We often hold onto things that make us feel something.
We find parts of ourselves in everything we do and love. In art, music, quotes, poems, etc. This is because they help us forget about the pain and the stress of tomorrow or today. We are constantly searching for others who feel the same way, because we don’t want to feel crazy or alone. The scariest thing is being alone.
5) Sharing your story will inspire others.
Everyone struggling, but some hide it better then others. Struggling with the same or different demons. Sometimes some people struggle worse then others, but it doesn’t make their struggle any less difficult. There will always be someone who understands, and is going through the same thing. It gets better. There are days when it feels like nothing else could go wrong, but when you look back you get through these days. Everything has a funny way of working out. You can find happiness, you just have to be strong and never stop trying.
It may not get better in a day, days, weeks, even months, or years, but eventually it does. You just have to hold onto the people and things that make you feel something.
“permettetevi di sognare”
