Facing Your Symptoms
Mental illness can be scary. When your brain malfunctions, causing you to experience unfamiliar symptoms, you either begin to freak out or ignore them. Freaking out is bad; it only makes the experience worse. And ignoring your symptoms is a terrible idea; it only prolongs the duration till your acceptance.
So don’t do either. The best course to take besides treatment is acceptance of your mental illness. Acceptance is key because even with treatment, there is no guarantee that your symptoms will greatly diminish. So rather than getting upset and fighting against your symptoms, you need to become accepting of them while finding a personal way to cope.
From time to time, you will experience some fear regarding your symptoms: “what if they happen in public?”, “I feel them coming on!”, “other people might notice!” When you begin to experience these negative thoughts, remind yourself: “I am not afraid of my mental illness!”
It is perfectly normal to anticipate your symptoms coming on and fearing them. But you must take control of them or they will take control of you. Taking control of your symptoms depends on what mental illness you are experiencing. Sometimes not even a psychiatrist or psychologist can teach you how to manage your symptoms.
You know your mind and body best! You have to find ways to manage your symptoms when they are not fully controlled by psychotherapy and medications. Sometimes just talking to a loved one does wonders; someone who you feel will listen to you non-judgmentally and support you with unconditional love.
The key point to take away is to face your symptoms. When confronted enough over time, they will slowly diminish and you will find peace again. It may take some time but giving up should not be part of your agenda. With persistence and belief, you will conquer your mental illness and live happily again.
Are you Ready? (This is Defeating Stigma Mindfully)
DSM (Defeating Stigma Mindfully) 