Mental-Health Monday

It’s been a tough week.

Both personally, and professionally.

I don’t need to go into details. We’ve all experienced tough weeks.

In the past, having tough things happen could knock me off my feet for hours or days or even weeks.

Some people’s bodies have trouble regulating their temperature (very common in autonomic nervous-system disorders). My body, specifically my brain, has trouble regulating my mood. If I don’t take medication and continue regular treatment, get support, and follow healthy practices, I can slip very quickly into a severely low mood. That can turn into a major-depressive episode.

Fortunately, I haven’t experienced one of those for several years — because I do take medication and receive treatment and support. But that doesn’t mean life can’t throw curveballs.

Part of living with a mental illness, indeed, part of recovering from a mental illness, because we’re never cured of one, is learning how to make it through difficult events and periods of time without giving up on meds, counseling, and self care.

Right now, I’m struggling. I’m feeling disappointed in myself for poor work, feeling great sorrow for a friendship that has ended, and feeling inadequate overall. It’s hard.

However, everything changes. Tomorrow will be different. In fact, this evening will be different. I have some choices to make. There are things I can’t change, and things I can change. What I need now is the wisdom to know the difference.