Learning to be Mentally Healthy
DISCLAIMER: As many of you know, I am a Christian. My journey is interwoven with the Lord and I will be sharing about how He has helped me. I am sorry if that is uncomfortable for you, but I am unashamed of the Gospel and of what God has done in my life. You don't have to follow this blog if that offends you. Please do not leave mean or angry comments and PLEASE be respectful.
Hello everyone!
I wanted to start off my posts talking about mental health. This is, sadly, a topic that we don't talk about often in society. It is often seen as weak or shameful to struggle with mental health. I want to bring honesty and openness to this topic.
Since 2010, I have struggled with anxiety. I feel overwhelmed mentally and thoughts will spin in my head. At first, I was paralyzed and withdrawn as I tried to combat my never-ending thoughts. It is hard to describe, but it was like the "filter" on my brain that sifts through sensory information had shut off, overwhelming my brain. I have learned to understand what is happening and relax, but I still struggle sometimes. I have also realized that sleep and exercise improve my mental state. I also get tightness in my chest and stomach when I am anxious, causing my appetite to diminish or disappear altogether. I tend to lose weight when I lose my appetite, even though I still make myself eat. A couple months ago I was trying to make myself eat still but ended up losing 8 pounds, which is a lot for me. If you know me, you know that I eat all the time and I am constantly snacking, so losing my appetite is not fun.
With the anxiety comes insomnia and I have struggled with sleeping for a long time as well. I often lay awake at night because my brain will not shut off and keeps thinking and thinking. I have tried tea, melatonin, various natural blends, and listening to music, but nothing seemed to work. Lately, I have been taking a supplement called Sleep Tonight, which actually has melatonin and L-Theanine, which is an important enzyme for sleep, and this has worked well for me. I highly recommend it. You can get at Seattle Super Supplements. Last semester, I went for a couple weeks with little to no sleep, which was the worst it has ever been. I would fall asleep initially, but then I would wake up a few hours later and not be able to fall back asleep. I ended up going to the doctor to get medicine to reset my sleep schedule.
Over the years, I have learned to recognize the signs that my "filter" is deteriorating or that my anxiety is worsening and I have been able to combat it, but it is a constant battle. I often pray about it and ask God to help me, and He has been faithful to get me through the hard times. I know that He is with me and that He will use this for good. I will be able to share it with others, like I am doing now, and give them hope.
Even right now, as I am writing this, I feel anxiety. My stomach and chest are tight and I feel overwhelmed. I know that I need to get more sleep this weekend and eat well.
I hope this post has encouraged you. Let me know if you struggle with anxiety or mental health and how you have learned to combat it.
Hello everyone!
I wanted to start off my posts talking about mental health. This is, sadly, a topic that we don't talk about often in society. It is often seen as weak or shameful to struggle with mental health. I want to bring honesty and openness to this topic.
Since 2010, I have struggled with anxiety. I feel overwhelmed mentally and thoughts will spin in my head. At first, I was paralyzed and withdrawn as I tried to combat my never-ending thoughts. It is hard to describe, but it was like the "filter" on my brain that sifts through sensory information had shut off, overwhelming my brain. I have learned to understand what is happening and relax, but I still struggle sometimes. I have also realized that sleep and exercise improve my mental state. I also get tightness in my chest and stomach when I am anxious, causing my appetite to diminish or disappear altogether. I tend to lose weight when I lose my appetite, even though I still make myself eat. A couple months ago I was trying to make myself eat still but ended up losing 8 pounds, which is a lot for me. If you know me, you know that I eat all the time and I am constantly snacking, so losing my appetite is not fun.
With the anxiety comes insomnia and I have struggled with sleeping for a long time as well. I often lay awake at night because my brain will not shut off and keeps thinking and thinking. I have tried tea, melatonin, various natural blends, and listening to music, but nothing seemed to work. Lately, I have been taking a supplement called Sleep Tonight, which actually has melatonin and L-Theanine, which is an important enzyme for sleep, and this has worked well for me. I highly recommend it. You can get at Seattle Super Supplements. Last semester, I went for a couple weeks with little to no sleep, which was the worst it has ever been. I would fall asleep initially, but then I would wake up a few hours later and not be able to fall back asleep. I ended up going to the doctor to get medicine to reset my sleep schedule.
Over the years, I have learned to recognize the signs that my "filter" is deteriorating or that my anxiety is worsening and I have been able to combat it, but it is a constant battle. I often pray about it and ask God to help me, and He has been faithful to get me through the hard times. I know that He is with me and that He will use this for good. I will be able to share it with others, like I am doing now, and give them hope.
Even right now, as I am writing this, I feel anxiety. My stomach and chest are tight and I feel overwhelmed. I know that I need to get more sleep this weekend and eat well.
I hope this post has encouraged you. Let me know if you struggle with anxiety or mental health and how you have learned to combat it.
Comments
Post a Comment