In my last blog post, I spoke about the issues that I’ve been having with my mental health. This week, I thought I would speak about what I’ve been doing to cope and pull myself out of this negative headspace. One thing that has been really helpful is recommitting to addiction support groups. Through the pandemic, these support groups began taking place online. Although I am grateful that I was still able to attend them, they weren’t quite the same as in-person meetings. I’m beyond happy that I am able to attend these support groups in person now, it makes me feel like I’m a part of something. Attending in-person meetings helps me feel more connected to the other individuals in attendance. I also find it a lot easier to stay focused throughout the meeting.
In addition to attending in-person meetings, reaching out to my support network has been helpful in addressing mental health concerns. Over time, I had fallen into the habit of not calling the people who I care about. I didn’t notice how isolated I was becoming. Due to my trauma background, I often find myself feeling that I can survive on my own without the help of anyone else. Let me tell you, I’m never correct in this feeling. When I start displaying these attitudes, it most likely means that I am in need of support.
When I’m struggling with my mental health, most of my self-care tends to fade away. In the last week, I’ve cleaned my room, started cooking meals with the support of staff members, and have been trying to better my sleep schedule. While these things do sound small, they have helped me immensely. It really is the little things that make all the difference for me.
Ciao for now
Ricky