The Reality Of Mental Illness

These are the everyday problems and situations of people with mental disorders, disabilities and differences. I am no expert, just someone who has been dealing with mental issues for a very long time. Have fun, and if you have an idea, please just shoot me an ask!

[wholesome-suggestion]

life works out. i cannot stress this enough. life always works out. it always turns out in your favor even if it doesn’t go according to the original plan. you may be utterly confused and lost right now, it may feel like everything is falling apart and there is nothing you can do to salvage any of it. but believe me when i say that this is just a transition period. things are constantly changing and evolving around you even if you can’t actively see that. life is changing you to prepare you for what is to come. you are growing and as you grow you are being built into the person that you are going to be. because see, life always has this funny way of working out. 

[mental-illness-is]

I'm a writer who would like to write more characters with mental illnesses, however, I don't want to be stereotypical about it. I want to avoid romanticising, over dramatising or villainising these characters and their struggles. What are some good resources for more sensitive, genuine writing regarding mental health? I mainly write magical realism, just to give you an idea of my style.

Hey! This blog is pretty much dead, however I’ll try to give some advice. I guess it depends on the mental illness - there are specific things to avoid for each disorder/problem. In general I would stay away from anything that kind of romantises harmful symptoms - one that comes up is stuff about schizophrenics being psychic or seeing magic or past/different worlds etc. That’s pretty gross and harmful, especially because schizophrenics and ppl with psychosis can kind of fall into that kind of thinking themselves and then not seek treatment. Likewise, stuff about suicidal people being “angels who want to go home” is ...gross. But again, it depends on the mental illness you’re writing about.

I guess I would say to focus on the everyday life of someone with a mental illness - that’s what this blog was about, and I think it’s important but often neglected. We’re not always having a massive crisis or breakdown or relapse, yet the (messed up) way your brain works colours every moment of your life - not necessarily positively or negatively, it just does. So writing about the little, everyday aspects of having a mental illness or disability could be an option. I’m not really sure what magical realism entails (actual magic, or more bizarre surrealism of everyday life?) as I read mostly non-fiction, but I would say disorders like OCD, ASD (though not a mental illness), depression, or even PTSD could be interesting to work with. I guess you just need to have an understating of the disorder you’re writing about, and how it manifests in everyday life - and how you can use that for your writing (which is very possible, I like to paint surrealist realism and I often draw on interpretations of my life with mental illness).

I hope that was somewhat helpful. If you have a specific disorder in mind (any, I’m an amateur expert on mental pathology as it’s a special interest), feel free to ask and I can expand on what to avoid and what you could possibly do with it. But definitely make sure you UNDERSTAND before you write, that’ll help avoid 90% of bad representations that occur

[misgenderisms-deactivated202010]

emotional self-harm exists and is fucking horrible

[misgenderisms-deactivated202010]

going back to an ex you KNOW will hurt you? consuming media you KNOW that triggers you? isolating yourself when you KNOW you need help? that’s a form of self-harm and needs to be acknowledged first to get help.

[misgenderisms-deactivated202010]

to be clear; this isn’t a callout. this is recognizing that emotional self-harm is a form of harm.

take this as a gentle reminder that your pain is real, that you are heard, and, most of all, to reach out for help.

[lohver]

shout out to anyone who’s struggling with their mental health and doesn’t think they can live like this for much longer; if you’re reading this, please stay alive, you’re still here and you’re so strong and i’m proud of you.

[mental-illness-is]

a crucial part of recovery is accepting every part of yourself including your mental illness or diversity. it’s about making peace with yourself and with the reality that you have a mental illness that more than likely will never truly subside. that’s okay because you can learn to live with it and to cope. and you can learn to see and utilise the positive parts of your disorder

[veryfunnymemes]

[socialworker-rebecca]

If it’s too hard to think positive, think neutral.

I’m no better or worse than anyone else.

I deserve the same things in life as anyone else.

I’m a human being.

Right now, I am feeling ________(fill in the blank).

I don’t know how I’ll feel in 5 minutes, or tomorrow.

I can’t predict the future.

Life is full of painful, pleasurable, and boring moments.

The world is full of good, evil, and gray areas.

[anxietyproblem]

[sweetschizo-deactivated20190808]

Shoutout to mentally ill minors with unsupportive/abusive parents.

Shoutout to minors who aren’t allowed to receive a diagnosis despite struggling.

Shoutout to the minors who don’t get the treatment they need.

Shoutout to the minors who are being blamed and abused for struggling with their mental health.

Shoutout to the minors who don’t receive the help they need to improve.

Shoutout to the minors who are consistently being forced to push themselves past their limits in an attempt to avoid more abuse.

Shoutout to the minors who are told that their mental health issues are their own fault.

Shoutout to minors who have no way of accessing mental health care because their parents refuse to acknowledge that they’re sick.

Shoutout to minors who have no irl support network.

Shoutout to minors who are getting sicker and sicker because their parents refuse to acknowledge that they need help.

You deserve better.

Your struggle isn’t your fault.

And most importantly:

You won’t be stuck in this situation forever.

Your current situation is temporary.

I promise.

[anxietyproblem]

[falastinniya]

you’ve gotta stat romanticizing your life. you gotta start believing that your morning commute is cute and fun, that every cup of coffee is the best you’ve ever had, that even the smallest and most mundane things are exciting and new. you have to, because that’s when you start truly living. that’s when you look forward to every day. 

[mendely]

suggested solution for sexual intrusive thoughts

pretend they come from a tiny creepy sigmund freud gremlin who is trying to convince you of having perversions you never had

[self-healing]

recovery is not ‘soon i will be untouched, perfect, and in a permanent state of bliss. i will be healed and all will be well, forever.’

recovery is ‘i will continue to survive despite what happens, i will find ways to cope instead of continually tearing myself down. i will recover and will see myself in a light that i never thought was possible.’

[dothenextrighthing]

reminder that your eating disorder is still valid even if:

you dont think it is

you’ve never been underweight

you are weight restored

you are at a ‘normal’ weight

you are overweight/obese

you’ve never had to go to inpatient or residential

you do not have a restrictive ed

you do not use the behaviors most commonly associated with eds

you do not have ‘fear foods’

you don’t like oatmeal or those foods people are always taking pics of

you like food and are fine owning that

you hate working out or dont work out 

you’ve never restricted/binged/purged

you’ve never been through anything that you feel validates your ed 

you dont have any ed horror stories 

you feel like your ed isnt as serious as someone else’s

you dont feel sick enough

your loved ones do not know

your loved ones do not believe you

your loved ones are not helping you get the help you need

your struggle looks different than the ones portrayed by the media

you are triggered by different things than most

you are not triggered by others

your recovery isn’t proving to be as difficult as its portrayed

your recovery is going ‘quickly’ your recovery is going smoothly

you are progressing in your recovery

you dont want to recover

you consciously developed your ed

you are not actively using behaviors today/now/anymore

[justedrecoverythings]

Bless

[ichorandpride]

ok but support your mentally ill folk with psychosis - whether minor, mild, or extreme

support those in the schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders spectrum

support those with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, schizophreniform disorder, and brief psychotic disorder

also support those who aren’t in the spectrum who still have psychosis due to other mental illnesses

give them love and give them time and patience. give them support

[gobsthegoblin]

self care for when you hit rock bottom

i fucking hate self care posts made by neurotypicals so here’s one from someone who Actually Gets It

-can’t shower or take a bath? me either. dry shampoo can make your hair look and feel cleaner, and baby wipes or makeup wipes work great to get the top layer of grime off your skin.

-can’t wash your sheets and make your bed? i feel you. push your blankets out of the way and shake the crumbs off your sheet. it will at least be a bit more comfortable.

-can’t even change out of your dirty pajamas? been there. hit yourself with some febreeze and a lint roller. if you can, brush your hair. if you can’t, hair ties and bobby pins are fantastic.

-can’t make anything to eat? same. if you can, there’s no shame in ordering food. in fact, it’s probably better you eat something rather than go hungry. if you can’t, try and find something that comes pre-made or takes minimal effort to make. at the very least, drink some water.

can’t respond to messages or reach out for help? yeah, i get that. set an alarm for a few hours from now and respond to any messages you need to once you’ve given yourself time to prepare. if they’re Important Messages that need Professional Responses, you can find fill-in-the-blank format rough drafts on google. as far as personal messages go, don’t feel bad for sending a mass “I’m sorry, I’m in a personal emergency right now. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.” response to everyone.

-can’t even sleep because it’s so bad? asmr videos always knock me out, personally, but i also watch a lot of bob ross. just try to find something quiet and soothing to use as background noise and take your mind off it, or at least give you a more peaceful environment to think about it.

-can’t go for a walk/drive? try opening the blinds or curtains. you’re still exposing yourself to the outside world. baby steps. (i also play animal crossing or sims; it may be virtual but fuck it. i went on a walk.)

-can’t go into work/school? let people know. let your coworkers or classmates know it’s an emergency and you can’t make it. give yourself up to two days, but then you have to go back. ask to have your work emailed to you so you know what you missed.

-can’t brush your teeth and wash your face? makeup or baby wipes and gum or mouthwash. don’t let yourself physically rot bc you’re rotting emotionally.

-remember that you’ve been here before. if you survived then you can survive now. that’s what this is about- survival. you don’t have to be living your Best Life. right now, it’s more than enough that you’re alive.

[sunnyborderlinebunny]

The holy tetrad: food, water, meds, and sleep 🍎💧💊💤