The Mental Health Check-In Thread

[TyrannosaurTJ]

I've become a lot more mindful of the issues relating to mental illness and the social acceptance of it, especially being stigmatized for not being alright. Back in 2012-2013, I was diagnosed with Schizoaffective, Major Depression, Anxiety, and C-PTSD, keep in mind I've always had issues and they've always been evident, even into my teens and twenties. I never sought help for my problems though because I was afraid they'd lock me up and turn me into some manner of a zoo exhibit for people to gawk at. The road's been long, treacherous, and hard and I do still struggle, but I am finally in a better place overall where I am mostly happy with myself. I would urge anyone, if they struggle, you should get help to combat these issues. Doing it alone was a bad idea and honestly, both medication and therapy compliance have been a great help to me.

The purpose of this thread is to check in, get support, vent a little, and hopefully feel better. So I'll start this by saying, generally I'm doing okay. Been a bit up and down recently due to concern about the forthcoming move from Ohio to PA for my girlfriend's job. Doing a little better as the unknowns have become infinitely much clearer. Still battling my dysthymic (constant/low-grade) depression on and off, especially in the face of life stresses. I'm attempting to isolate myself more from social media just because of the toxicity of it all that I witness. Maintaining my meds, and maintaining the skills I learned in therapy in dealing with issues. Definitely going to be doing some much-needed self-care for the next couple of days to right my mood a bit.

[AntrakhaSornaensis]

A major development for me since the JPLegacy days is my diagnosis with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) after high school. My mom suspected for years and years that I was on the spectrum, but where and when I grew up, nobody wanted their child diagnosed with a form of autism (for reference, I grew up in small, mostly conservative towns in Minnesota).

I genuinely wish I'd have been diagnosed sooner, because I could have used the help that I receive now when I was younger, especially in more difficult times in my life (ie- when my first girlfriend and I broke up).

My advice to anyone dealing with any kind of of psychiatric disorder: be an advocate for yourself and/or someone you love. The first step to getting a handle on issues you struggle with is to identify them.

[TyrannosaurTJ]

I can really relate to that, most of my care group and even my now girlfriend recognize that I am on the spectrum, but there is so much of a crossover between my schizoaffective symptoms and autism symptoms that it makes it hard to differentiate between the two. That is sound advice about being your own advocate. I went to a few NAMI education classes after I was first diagnosed and attempted suicide in 2013, they were beneficial in teaching me additional skills to deal with my illness. Plus it inspired a sense of community and uncritical acceptance for people that are struggling as well and want to receive help or receiving help. Education and advocating are ways to help make sense of the mess.