I apologize for the year-long absence; been needing to recharge my batteries.
I realized within this year on the importance of maintaining one’s mental health.
With grief, learning coping skills for a proper mental health diagnosis and trying to “return to normal”, it’s been tough for us all. I learned that it is important to take time to focus on oneself and give time to heal. Sometimes, it takes years to heal and that’s okay. As long as you are putting your foot forward, it is important to look towards the path of healing.
With grief, it is those small moments where you remember the loss and feel the pain of that loss. For me, what has helped has been looking forward to making new memories.
With getting the proper diagnosis, it has its losses. The loss of years trying to focus on a diagnosis that wasn’t correct and learning how to properly manage your symptoms. But you also gain the knowledge of how to tackle your symptoms and to live a life worth living.
I was recently interviewed for a book, and the interviewer asked “what I would tell my child self.” That question stumped me at first, until I realized what I would tell my younger self is “change is gradual, you never see the progress until you reach milestones.” And I guess that is still true today. So never compare yourself with others; we all have different journeys.
-J
life;better 