Weekend Mental Health Writing Prompt – Afraid To Fail

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We are afraid to fail so instead we don’t try. How many things do you not try because you are afraid of failing?

Right now I am trying to stop smoking, and while a part of me feels like it is a lost cause because I have tried to quit several times in the past unsuccessfully, another part of me thinks, “But what if this is the time it works?”

Write about something you have tried and failed at, and then write about something you have tried and succeeded at, realizing that in life there are both failures and successes. The important thing is that we always try.

Make sure to link back to this post or comment below to share your response with others.

Is Drug Addiction a Mental Illness?

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I’ll get right to the point: YES, drug addiction is a mental illness. Let me explain the two main facets of drug addiction. First, there is the physical aspect of it – the physical craving for the drug because of the person’s chemical dependency upon the drug. In the case of alcohol, one will find that once they take a drink they will not be able to control the amount of alcohol they consume thereafter no matter how hard they try.

Second, there is the mental aspect of it, which is the obsession of when, how, how often and how much of the drug one can get. The addict’s thoughts are consumed with obtaining and retaining access to their drug of choice. It is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder in my opinion, and it is lethal. It is not a moral shortcoming. It is not a choice. It is not a sin. It is not a lack of discipline or will-power. It is a mental illness!

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drug addiction qualifies as a mental illness because “addiction changes the brain in fundamental ways, changing the person’s normal hierarchy of needs and desires and substituting of new priorities connected with procuring and using the drug.”

While the addict may have crossed the line into non-choice when it comes to using his drug, he does always have the choice of whether or not to get treatment for his illness/addiction, just like one who has bipolar or schizophrenia can choose to get help for his illness or not.

However, as in the case with many mental illnesses, sometimes a primary symptom is that which tells the person that they don’t have the illness. This symptom is called denial, and unfortunately, it can delay treatment long past what is appropriate or safe for the individual.

Resources:

National Institute on Drug Abuse
Alcoholics Anonymous
Al-Anon
Narcotics Anonymous

Treating Multiple Mental Illnesses

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With my multitude of diagnoses and their over-lapping symptoms, I often wonder which illness has a hold on me. Am I on edge because I am hypomanic or anxious? Am I depressed because of a hormonal change/Bipolar issue or because my husband is working long hours/Borderline (BPD) issue? Am I exhausted because I’m depressed, because I’m not sleeping well due to anxiety, or because I’m overwhelmed with the kids being off school for the summer (BPD thing again)? You see my dilemma?

I know from experience what is usually causing my symptoms. Right now, I know I am dealing with anxiety because change is hard for me and with this being the first week the kids are home from school there has been a big change in my daily activities.

I also know from past experience that anxiety exhausts me physically, and that being physically exhausted makes me feel depressed. I say “feel” depressed because I know that it is just a feeling – I am not clinically depressed as in I need a medication change (yet.) First, I’d like to give myself time to adjust to the new schedule, and see if the fatigue and anxiety subside on their own.

I came across a study that looked at the interactions of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Bipolar Disorder over the course of 10 years. They found that BPD impacted major depression remission and relapse rates, and vice versa, but argued for the treatment of the BPD as a priority.

BPD and Bipolar Disorder remission and relapse rates, on the other hand, were largely independent of one another except for one area: bipolar type II lengthened BPD’s time to remission. (Wouldn’t you know that would be my case!) BPD did not affect bipolar mood swings. The study suggested that BPD and Bipolar be treated as independent disorders.

I do have rapid cycling bipolar and I also have borderline personality traits, so both on a physiological and psychological level I am battling quick fluctuations. Can anyone else relate to this? How do you cope with over-lapping symptoms from multiple diagnoses?

Weekend Mental Health Writing Prompt – Fathers

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In honor of Father’s Day, the writing prompt this weekend is none other than – fathers! Write about your father or grandfather or someone who was or is like a father to you. How did he shape you into the person you are today? In what ways, both positive and/or negative, does he affect your mental health? What is a good memory you have of him? What else would you like to write about him?

Link your response back to this post so others can find it or feel free to comment below. And Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there!

Weekend Mental Health Writing Prompt – Travel

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Travel. Write about a memorable trip you took. How old were you, where did you go, who were you with, etc? How did this trip affect your mental health? What would be some of the ups and downs of this type of trip for someone with your type of mental illness symptoms?

I’ll be doing some traveling of my own this weekend and will tell you all about how it affected my mental health when I return.

In the meantime, link your response back to this post or reply in the comments below.

Happy Weekend, everyone!

Weekend Mental Health Writing Prompt – Friendships

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Friendships. Write about what they mean to you. How do they play out in your life? How does your mental illness effect them, etc?

What qualities do you want in a friend? What qualities do you offer as a friend? How satisfied are you with your friendships? What changes could you make to better them?

What were your childhood friendships like?

Link your response back to this post or comment below. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend, my friends! 🙂

Bipolar Disorder and Migraine Link

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There’s a new study out that suggests a link between bipolar disorder and migraines. More specifically, “six percent of the study’s healthy control group had migraines, compared with 31 percent of the 412 bipolar patients.”

As someone who has bipolar and who also suffers from chronic debilitating migraines, I found this study very validating to my situation.

Researchers found that those with bipolar disorder who experience migraines are “at risk for worse psycho-social functioning, more severe depression, and earlier onset of bipolar symptoms.”

This gives me all the more reason to keep working with my doctors to decrease the frequency of my migraines. There have been many times I have just wanted to give up, thinking that this is as good as it gets, but then I tell myself that I have to keep trying, keep fighting, keep searching – new meds, new doctors, new triggers, new ideas, just keep talking to people and researching.

Over the past three years my migraines have went from 3-4 per week to 1-2 per month! What a huge difference!!! It took a lot of trial and error and perseverance and patience to get to this point, but it was worth the relief from the horrific pain these migraines can bring.

Do you have bipolar and suffer from migraines too?

Weekend Mental Health Writing Prompt – Animal Me

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If you could be any animal which would you choose to be? What does this animal represent to you? What advantages and disadvantages does it have over other animals? Is it possible or do you already emulate this animal’s positive qualities in your human life today? Why or why not?

Blog your response and link back to this post, or feel free to comment below. Hope everyone is having a nice weekend!

Weekend Mental Health Writing Prompt – Whole, Not Perfect

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This weekend’s writing prompt is the following Oprah Winfrey quote:

“Seek to be whole, not perfect.”

Write about what this means to you, and post your response in the comments below or on your blog and be sure to link back to this post so that others can find you. Thanks, and I hope you are having a super weekend!

Dealing with Agoraphobia

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Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder in which one feels and often avoids situations that may cause them to feel panicky, trapped, helpless, or embarrassed. Using public transportation, being in a crowd, and standing in line are a few examples. According to the Mayo Clinic,

You may feel that you need a companion, such as a relative or friend, to go with you to public places. The fears can be so overwhelming that you may feel unable to leave your home.

I definitely identify with this as I only feel safe leaving my house if my husband is with me. It is especially hard for me to drive myself anywhere. He has to be the one to drive. I believe my fears have to do with previous anxieties experienced in crowded situations. The noise and unpredictable stimuli of people merely moving around me is anxiety-producing for me. I don’t know why and I don’t know how to stop it, but I do know that I am tired of it controlling my life!

I take a PRN anti-anxiety med before going to any social event, which helps a great deal. However, I have to ration them because my doctor only prescribes me five of these pills a month per our agreement due to my addiction history. Thus, I am left with no medication assistance when I have to go to places like the store or to some of my kids’ activities.

So, what’s been happening over the past three weeks is I have been working myself up into an anxious state before leaving the house to do anything by telling myself how awful it is going to be and how much I DON’T want to go. I now realize this type of thinking has to stop if I am to find any relief.

Therefore, I have dug out my DBT (Dialectic Behavioral Therapy) binder to review some skills to help me regulate my emotions. I am starting with “Wise Mind” which is the part of our mind where “Emotional Mind” (our thoughts based on distressing feelings) and “Reasonable Mind” (rational thoughts) merge together (what I want to do vs. what I should do.) Wise Mind says, Yes, our Reasonable Mind is right, but Emotional Mind is important and needs to be validated, too. It is all about having compassion for yourself while still pushing yourself to do what is out of your comfort zone.

Last month, I overextended myself by doing way too much out of my comfort zone without checking in with my feelings and wants. I completely ignored Emotional Mind and blindly succumbed to Reasonable Mind, which over time lead to a state of depression and extreme anxiety – throwing me full force into Emotional Mind. Hopefully, with my new-found awareness I can now start using my Wise Mind to get back on track to emotional well-being and productive living!

What type of “Mind” do you tend to have – Wise, Emotional, or Reasonable? How does this affect your emotional health?