It is easy to get caught up in the emotion of the moment and then to overstate its importance.
Take being cut off in traffic as an example. The feelings of anger and self-righteousness can linger for hours. For some people, a minor incident can even lead to outbursts of yelling, hitting, swearing, anger, and even physical conflict…
Read MoreIf I am in a bad place mentally, any problem, challenge or complication has the potential to derail me completely.
I become overwhelmed with the onslaught coming from my mental afflictions combined with the stress of completing the new task. My self-talk becomes negative, directed at my inability to handle the problem, and then at me as a whole for once again ‘losing it’ over something so insignificant.
Read MoreI just woke up and the anxiety was upon me. It only took nine minutes.
Nine minutes before I began to dwell on an upcoming social obligation. Oscillating between deciding to go and hating it, or decided to bail and letting everyone down.
Read MoreWhat does friendship as an adult look like, or more specifically, what does friendship as an adult look like when you have a mental illness?
Answer: not like the movies, not like you learnt in high-school, and it isn’t easy for either party.
Read MoreDuring therapy, I take notes.
I write down what was discussed, and any advice given. I do not want to leave the session and forget what was covered. I am paying for it after all, with my time, money, and mental state.
Read More"Clearing the mind is practically impossible, and really not the goal of the meditation session. Rather the benefits come from calmly returning to the sensation of the breath..."
Read MoreIf you share your mental illness with someone, you are asking them to imagine a condition they can only read about and can’t experience.
Really you are asking them to change the lens that they view the world by. To overlay upon their reality, one of your condition. They have to put that lens over every situation that they have ever lived through, every action both minor and major, every interpersonal interaction, as well as over their hopes and plans for the future.
A traumatic past left me with anxiety and depression issues as well as a significant amount of pent up rage. With no guidance of how to deal with it, I turned to punching a bag for relief. Luckily for me it started to work, and I fell in love with martial arts.
Eventually I came across BJJ and I was hooked - the social atmosphere, constant learning, physicality and the practicality in a self defence situation all combined to be one of the best treatments for my mental health issues...
In the months leading up the birth of my first child, I noticed something strange occurring. Almost everyone that I told the news to had the same reaction. First, they congratulated me, then they proceeded to tell me endless stories of the horrors of childbirth and fatherhood.
They would share tales of sleepless nights, never ending inconsolable crying and the mountains upon mountains of poo that regularly explodes out of nappies.
All of this combined in my mind to create a storm of anxious rumination. As the pregnancy progressed, my mental health steadily declined. I would bounce between dissociation and anxiety with a dash of regret thrown in there.
This is the post that I wish was available to me during that time.
Read MoreReflecting on my experiences with anxiety leaves me with a one sentence, anxiety killing mantra:
“Anxiety is a liar and it’s taking up too much of my life”.
I want to prove it to you. Consider the following questions:
- When has it ever been as bad as you thought it was going to be?
-How many times have you worried about something that just has never occurred?
-How many anxious thoughts do you have about one thing - could each possible outcome come true?
-How many times were you anxious before an event, only to be completely fine during the event?
"People often excuse a behaviour if there are extenuating circumstances.
We tend to forgive, downplay or simply ignore it, because we realise that the person doing the behaviour is going through something significant and therefore are ‘not themselves’ at the moment..."
Read More"People should look after themselves first. Now this is not a selfish idea either mind you, I believe that it is to the benefit of society as a whole, as well as in the best interests of the individual that would be the recipient of the sacrifice. Because if you don’t look after yourself, and you fall, how will that person get the help they need...?"
Read More"Each time that I was close to following through, one thought kept coming to mind. It was so poignant that I couldn’t shake it ..."
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This is shadow work with a twist.
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12 exclusive guided audio tracts, introspective contemplations, expansion challenges, & email coaching.
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