Hi, I’m in the same boat. I have long-time GAD; after I had COVID, I’ve begun to have panic attacks and skin problems. So tired of therapy and pills! Why is it that health issues appear out of nowhere and then take years to go away :( My therapist keeps telling me that progress takes time yet it’s so hard to stay hopeful… I found a nutritionist and am saving money for a consultation. I know she’ll ask me to make multiple tests before prescribing supplements. Maybe the body needs some extra help with nutrients to get better. I don’t know, I’m ready to try anything
Thanks for opening up about your issues!
Small steps forward are still a victory ;) You're taking those steps towards healing, that's huge. Kudos to your mom for supporting you. Give your new therapist some time to work her magic.
Sending you virtual hugs 🤗🌷
@Esther I guess all therapists say that progress takes time because they know from experience that it’s not linear. Setbacks are almost guaranteed, and if we aren’t ready for them, we’ll consider therapy useless, which is not the case. The point is not to lose sight of how far we’ve gone forward.
I hear you. Dealing with mental health struggles is like battling a many-headed monster. Each time I think mine is conquered, it grows a new head.
We just have to tell ourselves that bad days don't define us. I’m past the phase where getting out of bed and brushing my teeth was a challenge, but keeping my room in order is still not something I can make myself do regularly. I simply learned to embrace chaos. Seriously, do as much as you feel you can do! There were days when I could do just two things: feed myself and water the flowers. I gave up on all the other household chores and all the To-Do lists. We don’t owe anything to the world except one thing – feeling happy. That’s literally our one and only obligation to the world. So do whatever it takes to feel a bit less tense and allow everything else to rule itself out. It’s gonna be okay.
@noego23 I get that, but it doesn’t make it less frustrating to feel like progress is taking FOREVER. It’s very discouraging :(
Hi, Jedidah!
If your best friend felt depressed and said they couldn’t be the best version of themselves, would you call them filthy? I hope not. Try to be kind to yourself like you would be to your friend. Give yourself the time and space you need to heal. Don’t worry too much about grades. Their importance is much overrated for anyone’s future. Take care of your mental health and anything else that needs your attention now. All else can wait.
If you ever need someone to talk to or just want a listening ear, I'm here for you.
My current school depresses me more than the pandemic ever did… I wish I could drop out… my parents will never allow it.. I wish I had good advice for you, but really wishing you the best and hope your therapist will be the right help for you :(
Definitely relatable.
Here’s what I’d do: focus on your mental health and happiness for the time being; they're more important than grades, they don’t determine your worth. I’d force on myself and my family the mindset that there’s only so much I can do right now, and no more. And it’s fine. Like, “I will do this task for 30 minutes, and then I can go read the Lord of the Rings or watch my favorite movies”. Don’t feel bad about not being perfect with your hygiene or anything else. You need to get to the other side where you’re full of strength and happiness. Give yourself the time you need to heal!
Have you checked your vitamin D levels and your thyroid? Sometimes depression may have exclusively physiological causes that can be reversed with simple meds.
The pandemic turned me into a fully-blown agoraphobe. They’ve been telling us for so long that the only safe place is home. Now I have to make myself leave the house. Anxiety never really goes away, I have to make it manageable again with higher doses of Lexapro. Therapy is a good start, but if you can get any medical help, give it a try too.
Major depression is often characterised by diminished interest in activities as well as fatigue. You would probably have little motivation or energy to maintain hygiene while depressed. physical pain can also be one of the reason to avoid showering. remember this is a fairly common symptom with ADHD as being consistent with routine tasks like hygiene gets difficult.
ADHD makes you struggle with various external stimuli in the environment that can overwhelm your senses causing anxiety, irritability and some times even pain. Our brain just latches on to it and can't let it go. Like for some people they can't handle certain toothpaste which creates a wierd taste in their mouth or can't handle feeling of cold/hot water in the skin, can't handle soap creating lather on the body. the point is you just need to figure out those things that triggers your sensory sensitivity and makes it difficult to maintain your hygiene.
You could also try few rewarding activities to help you work on your personal hygiene like get a product which smells good. It is all about boosting your dopamine which would help you in creating sustainable routines.
you can even ask your family member to help you check with your daily routine. if you don't want to then you can create a chart and stick it on the wall with your daily routine/task and create reminders in phone for it.
Following strategies and solutions will help you overcome obstacles and improve your life.
For poor grades you need to understand what could be the reason for that is it boredom to study or difficult to remember information then you need to be creative with learning process. You can highlight text with different coloured highlighters or you can just read it out aloud recording your voice now keep listening to it. You need to get good sleep and follow a routine or consistent pattern and keep taking study breaks so that you don't feel difficulty or bored to study.
Meditation also helps so do it everyday. continue with your therapy and medication as it will help you but remember its slower process and you just have to build practises to properly manage your symptoms.