Time. We all have the same amount in a day. Apparently, the sun rises and sets in a 24 hour period, right? So, why does it feel so strange sometimes? Why do I feel like I never lived in Illinois and I never did all the things I did? Does this even make any sense?
Living in Montana is totally different than where I used to live and how my lifestyle used to be like. I have the same amount of time, I am doing A LOT less activities and things during the day, and stress is at an all time low. The move to this state was a good one for my mental and emotional health and it was time. Time to make a change.
Change. Change can be challenging at times. We often find ourselves in the same robotic movements throughout the day whether we like it or not, and having the same routine can be a safe place for many. Changing from the routine can cause problems, over stimulation, and emotional and mental issues.
Mental Health is an often over looked aspect of people as a whole. We know that when we "feel" sick in our bodies, we often call the doctor to get well. The doctor will help us regain our physical health. But, what if we are feeling depressed? Or angry or anxious? If we do not know how to regulate our mental and emotional systems, our state can go from "not so good" to worse. And that can lead to suicide.
I am not a mental health expert.
I did not study social work or psychology to know all the ins and outs of mental health. I have experienced abuse, though, and have seen the ramifications of that with some of my grown children. So, when I speak, I speak from my own experience.
I question many decisions I made. The dreaded, "Well, if I had only done THIS, then perhaps THAT would not have happened". It is a mind game that will just cause more pain. Dealing with pain, hurt, and unresolved betrayal now is what needs to be addressed. Beating yourself up about decisions you made that you think NOW might not have been the right ones does not resolve anything. I will never know the outcome of any different decisions I made. Perhaps those decisions would have been worse. I just do not know. I do not have a time machine to go back and see. I don't think I will re live It's a Wonderful Life like George did to see what the past would have been like if I had made other decisions.
That is not to say that I wish I had not made other decisions. That is not to say I am absolving myself from any issues I may have caused and forgetting about it. It is a part of me that I can go forward with and hope that the hurt that was caused will be healed eventually.
I know this is very vague.
Perhaps you are following my train of thought. Most people have pain in their lives. Some people are stuck in that pain and cannot move forward. Circumstances were too terrible that they became a hole that could could not be climbed out of. Others have realized many things about their situations and circumstances, got help, and were able to move forward in healing.
It is all part of life.
Often, mental health issues are ongoing and become a part of who a person is. They are a part of his or her make up and make that person who he or she is. Some days. or years are better than others. Often, many years go by and there are no episodes or breakdowns. And, then, it happens, and the healing process starts all over again.
Time is a healer, they say. I believe that it is. As time goes on and issues become healed and worked through, the episodes and/or breakdowns are not as intense as they used to be. They are easier to come out of and easier to work through. That takes time and work. And change.
Change is essential to working through any issues. We must be willing to put in the work in order to be healed and overcome any obstacles in our way. Even if it is difficult and challenging.
Life is full circle.
So, life is full circle. We have time in each day to do what we need to do. We make changes that are essential to our mental and emotional health step by step and continue going forward. And, our mental health becomes healthier and healthier and we become more whole.
If you are suffering from mental health issues, don't let the stigma of "having to have it all together", or "I will be ok, it is just the blues", or any other words you might hear. If you go to a doctor for your physical needs, going to a mental health doctor for your mental health needs is just the same! Don't become lost in a world that does not let you rise up and become the person you were created to be.
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