Depression/anxiety advice post
I know there are lots of people (especially younger people) who have mental health problems and use this site. Some advice or things you see on here are helpful, and some are really not.
I wanted to share my experience, and while every experience is different and things don't usually help everybody, it might be worth your time.
I'm 21, a full time student, and have been diagnosed with OCD, tourette's syndrome, severe anxiety and severe depression. This is how I've managed to improve my life significantly.
• go see a therapist, or councilor, AND GP. I've spent years in and out of councilling, and it was never enough. It helps, but I feel like GPs look for a long term solution while councillors improve the 'now' and help you find methods to deal with things.
• get an actual diagnosis.
1. It feels super validating to be told "hey this is actually really bad you shouldn't feel like this" and that you're not being a drama queen or attention seeker.
2. In my case I never realised I had an anxiety disorder and there were several things that I told the doctor "wait that's bad? I've been like this/doing that as long as I remember." There might be issues you didn't consider impacting your life, and if you keep telling yourself "I'm not that bad" or "x has it worse" you arent going to get any better.
• don't be afraid of antidepressants. My most recent councilor had been encouraging me to see a GP and go on them for months but I was unsure. For me, they have been LIFE CHANGING. Since going on anti depressants, I no longer break down crying randomly, have meltdowns because I catastrophised an event which hasn't even happened, etc. Brain chemicals can suck, and sorting that out can have a positive impact. My anti depressants took me from severe anxiety and depression to moderate. Big difference.
• eat healthy. Get sunlight. Fresh air. Face to face contact with humans. Animals and plants. Try and do some exercise. Clean your room so you aren't sleeping in a smelly, dusty, space and feeling gross about yourself. Shower, wash your face. Don't quit coffee if you enjoy it, but dont have 6 cups a day.
Frankly for me, this kind of thing came in last because when I'm at my low it is impossible to get out of bed and stop crying. So I know that it is hard. But once you get going, this will help.
• relaxing time. Phone off. Do something calming. I know everyone recommends mindfulness but I can not
do it. Ever. I have tried. It doesn't work on me.
Different things help different people, but I think the core of this idea is to take a deep breath and step back. There are two things I do for this.
1. Wake up early every now and then, watch the sun rise and have my coffee.
2. Make tea and sit down with music in the background.
That is my therapy I like to fit into my week. Destress.
• find the positive things.
This is hard to do when you feel like killing yourself, hence why I put doctor and healthcare first and self care things after.
I found the idea of a "positivity journal" recently and have started that. Writing down something each day that was good, made me happy, or made me feel accomplished.
Take your victories when you get them. This year, after about 6 years of my OCD being so bad I couldnt touch a lot of things (and some things I could only touch if I could wash my hands immediately after)
I held my cat. She lives with my parents, and I had barely touched her for years. She knew I was less on edge and cuddled me. Now every time I go visit she sleeps on me, sleeps in my bed with me, and cuddles up on my lap or chest. This is a huge victory because when she sleeps on my chest at night I cant get up to wash my hands or change my clothes.
I also have started letting friends visiting my apartment sit on my bed. I used to freak out if anyone touched my bed without 1. Being a person on my list who I allow to and 2. Only after they shower.
• find support where you can.
I have been super lucky to have amazing friends looking out for me while I'm studying. It is good to find a few close friends who you can talk about this kind of thing with. Especially if you have friends in the same boat and can understand where eachother are coming from.
• comfort food isn't a good thing.
Don't get me wrong, a treat pizza is amazing. Chocolate does make you feel better, it's basically an edible anti depressant but its temporary.
My problem was eating comfort food just to make myself feel better and then purging minutes after I finish everything. If I ate some instead of all, it wouldnt have been that bad. Then I feel crappy about my weight, and the fact that I'm hunched over a toilet with vomit somehow on my cheeks and splattered everywhere.
I give you this image to highlight that this behaviour is not good.
Treat yo self. But dont over do it or rely on those treats, because when dinner is the only good part of your day change needs to happen.
Some goes vice versa if you aren't eating. Please eat.
• sleep. Sort out your sleeping schedule. Impossible for a uni student, I know. Mine sucks during assignment seasons. But I try to get enough sleep and wake up in the am instead of pm.
• make time for things you enjoy.
I like to have a happy break each day. I call masterchef my happy hour because I curl up and watch it after dinner, then go back to working on assignments.
• shortcuts. Something you struggle doing? Find a loophole. E.g. for a while I was lacking motivation to get up, wash my face and get dressed. Baby steps, I used cotton buds and micellar water or face wipes, and a singlet + baggy short shorts to wear around my apartment.
Useful for ladies, singlets with inserts so you don't need to put on a bra.
• read and listen to other peoples experiences and find what helps you. Try to funnel out good and bad advice and don't make self help feel like punishment.
Lots of people have told me I shouldn't drink coffee but there is no way that will happen, so I'm just drinking one or two cups a day instead.
If there is any advice you want to add to this post, please do.
