Not every soul who experiences a traumatic situation will develop symptoms of PTSD. However, some of us will be identified as mentally ill because we do struggle with symptoms like anxiety, depression and hyper vigilance. While mental illness creates additional obstacles it does not mean we cannot practice healing methods for our betterment.
A lot of healing goes on in our mind, being mindful of what and how we’re thinking can greatly impact our life. When you dedicate yourself to being acutely aware of your thoughts you can begin working on change. What I’ve learned in cognitive therapy is that we can develop cognitive distortions in life in order to survive, which amounts to conflicting thought patterns. Check out this Psychology Today article for a list of 50 cognitive distortions in our thoughts.
Awareness is a very beneficial tool for those who have traumas to work through. Becoming aware of how we are thinking allows us the opportunity to change it. What I have found useful is getting to the root of my self-speak. For a lot of my life I would brand myself a ‘fucking idiot’ any time I made a mistake. I learned this self speak as a child from my parents. To this day being stupid is a speedy insult with them and many others in the world.
This negative self speak caused problems for me, it would exacerbate depressed moods. I would find myself down a path of internally believing I was a failure because I made ‘stupid mistakes’ all my life. Today, I tend to shrug my mistakes off — none of us are perfect. Doing this for myself allows me to be more tolerant of others mistakes too. Not to be confused with accepting abuses from those uninterested in change for betterment.
Developing your self worth, self care is a conscious choice. No one else can heal you for you and changing who you are takes time and practice. Especially for souls riddled with labels of mental illness. You have to work double beside a person who’s brain functions without need for assistance. And needing assistance does not make you less worthy than another, you’ve just got more work ahead of you to reach healthier goals. Find a professional to help you.
I have seen psych professionals since 2006 before my deployment to Afghanistan. I had childhood traumas I felt compelled to discuss before leaving for a war zone. I am grateful and fortunate to be here today, even though I’ve had my share of exhausted days. I know that end game could stop my suffering and it would add suffering to my loved ones. My goal is transforming my suffering into something better to enjoy with loved ones and folks I may not yet know. I deeply want better for myself and the world.
Be well, sweet souls. 💛
If you identify with the neurodivergent community, would appreciate an adult space with a focus on support and betterment, I’d like to invite you to check out my discord server! Where shame, blame and devaluation are discouraged while compassion and personal growth are encouraged. The server is designated mature (18+) and minors are promptly removed. Multiple categories allow Members to decide what sort of content they’d like to see from the server using selections in the #about-you channel after joining. You’re invited!
Salley's Mile ∞ 