Recovering Your Mental Health: A Self Help Guide

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Recovering Your Mental Health:
A Self Help Guide

continued

Things To Do When You Are Feeling Better

When you are feeling better, make plans using the ideas in the previous section.

Things you can do right away to help yourself feel better, that will help you keep yourself well. Include simple lists of:

to remind yourself of things you need to do every day, like getting a half hour of exercise and eating three healthy meals;
to remind yourself of things that may not need to be done every day, but if you miss them they will cause stress in your life, like bathing, buying food, paying bills or cleaning your home.
of events or situations that, if they come up, may make you feel worse, like a fight with a family member, health care provider or social worker, or loss of your job;
- and a list of things to do (relax, talk to a friend, play your guitar) if these things happen so you won't start feeling badly.
of early warning signs that you are starting to feel worse, like always feeling tired, sleeping too much, overeating, dropping things and losing things;
- and a list of things to do (get more rest, take some time off, arrange an appointment with your counselor) to help yourself feel better.
of signs that things are getting much worse, like you are feeling very depressed, you can't get out of bed in the morning or you feel negative about everything;
- and a list of things to do that will help you feel better quickly (get someone to stay with you, spend extra time doing things you enjoy, contact your doctor).
of information that can be used by others if you become unable to take care of yourself or keep yourself safe such as :
- signs that indicate you need their help
- who you want to help you (give copies of this list to each of these people)
- the names of your doctor, counselor and pharmacist
- any medications you are taking
- things that others can do that would help you feel better or keep you safe
- things you do not want others to do or that might make you feel worse

Key to successful recovery: family members and close friends

One of the most effective ways to improve the way you feel is reaching out to a very good friend, family member, or health care professional, either telling them how you are feeling or sharing an activity with them. If you feel that there is no one you can turn to when you are having a hard time, you may need to work on finding some new friends.

GOOD FRIENDS ARE PEOPLE WHO HELP YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF.

Here are some ways you could meet people with whom you may become friends. You may not be able to do these things until you feel better.

Attend a support group. Support groups are a great way to make new friends. It could be a group for people who have similar health issues. You can ask your doctor or other health care professional to help you find one, or check support group listings in the newspaper.
Go to events in your community like fairs and concerts.
Join a special interest club. They are often free. They are usually listed in the newspaper. You will meet people with whom you already share a common interest. It might be a group that is focused on hiking, bird watching, stamp collecting, cooking, music, literature, sports, etc..
Take a course. Adult education programs, community colleges, universities and parks and recreation services offer a wide variety of courses that will help you meet people while learning something new or refreshing your skills. Another benefit is that you will learn something interesting that might open the doors to a new career, or a career change.
Volunteer. Offer to assist a school, hospital or organization in your community.

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