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It's common knowledge that too much stress is bad for our health, but those of us with a mental health diagnosis can face another risk from stress, which is increased symptoms. As part of my self-care or lifestyle monitoring, I try to reduce how much stress I experience daily to manage anxiety and schizophrenia symptoms.
You may remember me as the blogger who wrote for "Work and Bipolar or Depression" or "Coping with Depression" here at HealthyPlace. While blogging on this platform has been a career highlight, I took time off from writing about depression for my mental health. Now that I am better, I feel grateful for the opportunity to write for "Mental Health for The Digital Generation." Although I wish I had never left, I know why I needed to do so: we live in a chaotic world where regular mental health breaks are essential.
I have had many people talk to me about struggling with low self-confidence and negative self-talk and how hard it has been for them to train themselves to stop letting negative emotions control their lives. For years, I, too, struggled with these feelings. Self-criticism was a daily practice, and I would find fault in everything I did.
Looking back at all my past problems from where I am today, it's often hard to remember just how low I felt. It's hard to remember the many years I spent stuck in a vicious cycle of anxiety, panic attacks, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), not knowing if I would ever be able to break free and live a happy and fulfilling life again. There were intermittent periods of depression when I was unable to see any reason for existence. Thankfully, those days are over.
Have you ever had a moment that makes you question every bit of recovery you’ve achieved to that point? I have—recently, I questioned my skin picking recovery.
In 1999, when I was in fifth grade, a police officer came to our school dressed in a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) t-shirt. He was carrying a gun and wearing a stern face. Without any words, he communicated that using drugs led to extreme consequences. His lecture taught us that drug addicts deserve to be locked up. But criminalizing addiction turned out to be more hurtful than helpful.
Since I have arthritis in my knees and schizoaffective disorder, the migraines I suffer are a substantial extra load. And now I know what it’s like to have my physical illnesses treated more seriously than my mental illness. This is the story of a time when I stood up for my mental health, and my mental illness was treated seriously.
Navigating verbal abuse is never ideal. This toxic behavior can alter how a person sees and trusts others and interacts in relationships. The amount of exposure to verbal abuse can drastically change a person's view or attitude toward themselves and others. This situation is one I'm familiar with since I can see now that verbal abuse has changed me.
I've learned that it's difficult to fight self-doubt when you are often anxious. Unfortunately, naturally, anxiety and self-doubt go hand in hand. Because of this, my anxiety can affect my decision-making. In other words, when trying to make a choice, I often doubt myself and my ability to make a good decision.
When I spent three months in residential treatment back in 2010, the clinicians would frequently encourage the other patients and me to communicate and honor our needs. This practice was meant to teach us how to separate our own inner voices from the control and influence of an eating disorder. As well-intentioned as these clinicians were, however, I remember asking myself: "How can I learn to express my needs if I'm not sure what they are?"
This is long answer sorry.
I’m not sure how extensive, straight, fresh, color your skin, why makeup you have tried as I might have good suggestions. How obvious in general is it that these are not any other kind of scars? Easist is to pass it off on different injuries. Not at easy if you are actually cutting. Iis your family aware of your situation to a degree and would go along with skirting the truth with the teacher? He asks, say “I have a medical condition. My family and I are trying to have it treated.” If she gets nosey and says what.? Say “I’m sorry that’s in appropriate”. If you are from the states you can also tell her that it is also something frat falls under a reasonable accommodation for a person with a disability to make the modifications of allowing you to cover your arms. She can not ask you what your disability is. Self-harming behavior may be the symptom of a protected disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act
On the flip side when young I said some scars came from things that happened but no real injuries so I didn’t mess up. Like falling through a sliding glass door,th. As I became less and less and older and I had legitimate nasty scars from working with animals everyone assumed I cut. Not saying I hadn’t had a small lapse her or there but I I leaned full in. Told them nah just bad at my job. That on was a Rottweilers paw. He almost made it perfect so I just finished his work off couldn’t leave it with 3 nails what do you think?. When people whisper or even saw she desecrated her body lol when I’m in a sundress I say this is how I mark my memories “I couldn’t pick enough tattoos for all the memories, I wanted something more extreme. This are arm is the joy I don’t want to forget . This arm is so when I go to hell I know how many souls to bring with me 🤪. “Honestly I am a light hearted good girl but the pearl clutching is fun.. Evenif I know I am still often in pain inside. We all have different reasons. I never could remember emotional pain got better but physical pain did. So that’s why I did it. Now I’m tired of being reminded of all those times I was made to feel so voiceless. For years with my scars. You have good and bad days. You’re a dancer. Put your feelings into that. Volunteer somewhere. Wayne teach kids to dance? The things you hate someone will love. I have to hear it so many times a day. It drives many away. The right people it would though. The right will hold you tight when you feel so much you can’t find a way to get it out. If you want to talk IG:@katgirl18