5 Affirmations For People Who Struggle With Mental Illness | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

5 Affirmations For People Who Struggle With Mental Illness

You are NOT your mental illness.

56
5 Affirmations For People Who Struggle With Mental Illness
Photo by Sydney Sims on Unsplash

In This Article:

Mental illness is widely misunderstood in many cultures today. Because not all symptoms and signs present as physical aches or pains, but rather a poor mental or emotional state, it is misunderstood as being "all in your head". However, that's far from the truth. While it can be more difficult to combat because there isn't a simple medication or treatment that's a cure-all, it doesn't make it any less real. Thankfully, the field of psychology has grown immensely to show how psychological disorders physically affect the brain and our subsequent behaviors, making treatment more accessible. So, if you feel like a diagnosis now defines you, here are 5 affirmations to remember:


1. You are a person before a diagnosis

This is heavily emphasized in healthcare: person before the illness. You are NOT bipolar, you are NOT autistic, or whatever it may be. You are a PERSON who has this diagnosis. It is not who you are, nor does it change what kind of person you're going to be moving forward. This is something that is manageable with proper treatment, and it doesn't define your worth. Get help, I promise you it'll be so beneficial.

2. Your diagnosis is not going to run your life

I know it is scary to have someone tell you that a mental illness has caused your brain to essentially malfunction. But, you came to that therapist or counselor for help and they are trained to listen, understand and help you find a way to manage your illness. A good practitioner is not going to judge you and work cooperatively with you to change your lifestyle to make it more enjoyable to put that diagnosis on the back burner. Even though mental illness is overwhelming at first, it is not going to feel like that way forever. Once you learn to manage it, you'll forget about it for long periods of time and realize there's more to life than it.

3. It is OKAY to see a therapist

We need to end the stigma of calling licensed, professional therapists "shrinks." Therapy does not mean you'll be sent to the psych ward in a hospital and locked up because you're deemed a threat. So get that image out of your head, because that is absolutely not the case. The American Psychological Association has a Diagnostic Manual that clinicians follow to properly assess, diagnose and treat different mental illnesses. There is a specific set of criteria they abide by to provide you with quality care, and it is imperative that you seek help. It's unhealthy to bottle everything up because you're scared or were judged for wanting to get better, whatever may be the case. Just like you go to the doctor if you're physically sick, you go to a psychologist/psychiatrist to talk about your issues, receive a prescription for needed medication and work on living a healthy lifestyle. This will help you overcome your fears, socialize easily, and focus better on your present.

4. You aren't crazy

If you're really anxious, upset, nervous, irrationally scared, etc. it does not mean that you're crazy. Those are normal fluctuations in human emotions, and if you feel like you can't get a grip on life because you're struggling, that's also nothing to be ashamed of. We all face difficult situations, grief, experience scary events, and more. All because your symptoms fit into the category of a mental illness does not make you inferior or different than others. Remember that this is manageable with the proper treatment, and not to listen to the opinions of people who haven't walked a day in your shoes. You're a normal person, just like everyone else. You just need some extra assistance, and there's nothing wrong with that.

5. This too, shall pass

Whether you just experienced a trauma, you hit rock bottom or you feel like you're officially spun out of control and things can't get any worse, know that this will pass. You'll get better with time and help, your symptoms will lessen, you'll change your habits, and learn to cut out stressors to make life easier. I know it feels like your horrible emotional/mental state is never going to get better, but it WILL. You can and will feel normal again, just be patient. Therapy is hard work, so change doesn't happen overnight. Trust the process.

Spilling out your entire life story to an absolute stranger within the walls of a clinic or medical setting may feel intimidating, but the clinician who is listening to you has gone through several years of education, shadowing, and clinical practice before meeting you. Therapy is a very structured process and it isn't just talking for an hour weekly to someone you just met. They give out "homework" assignments to organize your thoughts, discuss how to handle your problems without being overwhelmed, and remind you that you're doing the right thing. There's nothing wrong with you.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less
college
Pinterest

For many undergraduates across the nation, the home stretch has begun. Only one more semester remains in our undergraduate career. Oh, the places we will go! For the majority of college seniors, this is simultaneously the best and worst year out of the past four and here’s why.

1. The classes you are taking are actually difficult.

A schedule full of easy pottery throwing and film courses is merely a myth on the average campus. With all of those prerequisites for the upper-level courses and the never-ending battle you fight each year during registration for limited class seats, senior year brings with it the ability to register for the final courses you need to fulfill your major. Yet, these are not the easy entry level courses. These are the comprehensive, end of major, capstone courses designed to apply the knowledge from all your previous courses, usually in the form of an extensive research paper or engaged learning project. The upside is you actually probably really enjoy these classes but alas there is no room for slackers here.

Keep Reading...Show less
man in black crew neck t-shirt
Photo by Yogendra Singh on Unsplash

1. You're tired of school food and have resorted to surviving off junk food and cereal.

2. Your financial aid/money is running out...and chances are it all went to textbooks and takeout.

Keep Reading...Show less
man and woman
www.lifefactuality.com

We’ve all dated someone who just wasn’t quite right...but, why?

Here are nine reasons you're probably still too in denial to admit.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments