Happy #mentalhealthawarenessweek .
You wouldnât necessarily know, but the last year and a half have been extraordinarily difficult for me and mine. Itâs been one trauma after another. Something in me broke and in September last year I self-referred to the local mental health services. After being put on a waiting list, in January this year I was offered a five week course in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.
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It was classroom based support rather than talking therapy and, by that point, almost entirely thanks to a friend on the other side of the world and my wife, I had already pushed through and was in a much better place. But the CBT course was a worthwhile option all the same.
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CBT isnât a silver bullet and, while not immediately apparent, it has given me a toolbox of techniques to call on when I need them. More than that it was beneficial to meet so many people with similar difficulties and only reinforced how important it is to share our experiences.
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My head is still a basket full of cats and Iâm currently focusing on myself and taking back my life. Itâs not easy - part of me hates myself for struggling, especially as I am that person who helps everyone else - and itâs day by painful day, but if I could offer advice to anyone it would be to talk about the stuff that goes on in your head.
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Find that person who you can open up to and share. Itâs hard and itâs scary but it helps. We have more in common than youâd think. Deep down I know I have a network of good people around me that care about me, and that thought keeps me here.
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#mentalhealth #cbt #depression #suicide #mentalhealthawareness
Posted on 17 May 2018