Clutter is depressing and anxiety inducing.

Unfortunately anxiety and depression often leads to disorganisation and indecision, which causes the accumulation of more clutter.

This is cyclic.

In this episode I discuss the connection between mental health and our environments, as well as ways that we can take positive action in the face of mental illness and mess.

I have been going through a rough time recently. This podcast breaks down my journey through struggle town as well as how I plan to get myself out.

Thank you to everyone who has been messaging me on social/commenting on my videos with their support. It means a lot.

I apologise for the lack of content, I will get back to it as soon as I am well.

How can you ever know if one person is worse off than another? Given that we all view the world through a subjective lens, this may be impossible. In this episode, I talk about how I approach this issue, and use it to help myself and others.

By definition, those of use with mental illness think differently to ‘normal’. With that in mind, how can we know if we can trust someone with mental illness? And as a sufferer of mental illness, how can we gain the trust of others?

In this episode I talk about judging people based on actions, not labels.

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If someones personality changes when inebriated, and they are always inebriated, than that is who they really are.

It doesn’t matter if they are ‘nice’ when sober, if they are rarely sober …

This episode has three parts:

1) I give a preview reading of my next blog post titled “If someone opens up about their trauma - believe them!”

2) I answer three Patreon supporter questions

3) Updates on the progress of How To Get Your Sh!t Together, as well as some other housekeeping.

Enjoy!

Despite the fact that 1 in 5 people are currently suffering from a mental illness (1 in 2 over the lifespan), mental illness is highly stigmatised.

In this episode I delve deep into the possible causes and solutions to this stigma. I also talk about dealing with the possibility of ‘attention seekers’ or ‘fakers’ as well as how to best ensure that your family and friends know you will be there for them should they need your support.

It is vital to first notice the warning signs of a mental illness coming on and then take action to best guard your mental state.

In this episode share the ups and downs of this week - talking about how I manage my mental state, both in the short and long term.

Take action to first determine how different life events impact your mental state, then work to add more of the positive impacts and cut as much of the negative impacts as possible.

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Mental Illnesses and chronic conditions often can't be 'seen' - they are 'invisible'!

The only way to #endMHstigma is through sharing our stories and experiences.

When I am depressed, the 'pointlessness of life' becomes overwhelming.

This episode addresses why life can feel pointless, as well as some of the ways that I overcome those feelings.

"For me, a lot of the symptoms of anxiety are physiological: shortness of breath, headache, coldness, and clumsyness. I get trapped in rumination, often overthinking everything. This has an impact on my ability to cope in social situations as there is a lot of stimulus to take in and process.

I find myself creating multiple potential futures for each outcome and simultaneously contemplating the worst of each. This causes my mental state to be focused on the worst possible outcomes for futures that never eventuate."

"When you open up and start to talk about your traumatic experiences, a few things will happen.

More memories will come flooding in and that may become overwhelming. In addition, people will react differently to what you will expect. Some will be supportive and will share their own experiences, while others will disbelieve what you say..."

"Protect your mental state, that way you are in the best place to help others.

It is important to realise that your mental state is the lens in which you view the world, if it is compromised, so to is your ability to judge the people, events and actions of your life..."

"When somebody is in a down mental state there is a tendency for them to feel like they have always been in that state.

Personally, when I am going through a bout of anxiety, depression or disociation I feel like I have always been suffering from it. It taints every memory of my past and makes me feel like it will be there for each instance in my future.

To combat this, I have written a 'mental health check list' that outlines that things have and will get better (they always have). As well as lists the activities that have worked for me in the past . 
I leave this on my wall as a reminder and promise to myself that I will try to get better, even if it feels like I can't. 

In this episode I go in depth, explaining what I do to pull myself out of a down mental state..."
 

In this episode of the Reality Check podcast, Zachary introduces his new blog. Two blog posts are read titled: Is Suicide Selfish? & Antidepressants Saved My Life But Didn't Make It Worth Living