I feel like I've reached a point where my mental health isn't there. Like my mental health is so depleted it's gone. I guess I'm talking about my ability. a person a braincan only take so much. Eventually, everyone reaches a breaking point. Well, what do you do when you get to that point? What do you usually do when you're not mentally healthy?
What It's Like to Experience a Mental Health Collapse
I had a very bad year. I have experienced a personal loss. I experienced an interpersonal loss. Now I added the job loss. This is more than I can handle. I have a to-do list and even things as simple as making phone calls don't get done because I'm completely incapacitated. My carpet hasn't been vacuumed in months. My apartment has not been dusted for months. It just seems difficult to keep the dishes in the dishwasher. Plus many more issues.
All this results in endless triage. I take a look at what I have to do. I choose what is most burning at the moment. I choose what life cannot live without. And then I do it as much as I can, avoiding everything. I have to talk like a child myself. Each small step must be listed and consciously completed with great effort.
Then I look at the list and choose the thing that burns the most right now. And repeat. And repeat. When I reach it, everything is at a crisis point.
Everything I do is great, no doubt. The problem is that I have so little potential that I can't move forward. When you finish one thing, three more things light up. I have it a spoonful a day. It is simply not enough. i have no mental health and it causes great disability.
I feel like I'm walking through a loud, packed crowd with a scared four-year-old. I take a four-year-old by the hand and say in as calm (yet stressed) a voice as possible, “Now take a step to the left. Now, right. good. Let's go straight.” And so on.
What It Feels Like to Not Have Mental Health
In terms of how I feel? Mostly I try not to. I'm just trying to focus. I just try to focus on one small thing in front of me and block out everything else. I am aware of that I'm depressedbut I don't have time to feel it. Anxiety is at the fore. The anxiety is so bad it gives me electric shocks. It's a very physical (and psychological) feeling. There are those that don't end, obsessive, intrusive, angry thoughts is also involved.
What you need to know about lack of mental health
I know it's bad. I know it's very bad. I also know it's temporary. I have no idea what the temporary looks like, but I know I won't be in this state for the rest of my life. Someday something will change. It always happens.
I have no doubt that the reverberations of this time will be felt for a long time. However, that period will not last forever. I guess that's the point hope. It's the knowledge that all pain—no matter how terrible and dramatic—doesn't stay at 10+ forever.
Also note this warning: I am getting help for my mental health and if you are at the bottom of the barrel, you should get professional help too. These great mountains will not move by themselves.
If you can't handle Mental Health
The first thing I need to know is that I'm in control. I'm breathing. i eat i sleep. I am not a danger to myself or others. If this is not true for you. If you can't keep one eye on reality, don't feed yourself, harm yourself, or neglect those who need you (like pets or children), please seek professional help immediately. Great states may require hospitalization to stabilize. It doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. It just means you need a little extra help to succeed. While inpatient treatments may not be fun, they can save your life, and you're worth it.
If You Don't Have Mental Health and You Can Cope
If you are managing this dire situation and not endangering anyone or yourself, there are a few things you should do.
First, take a deep breath and try to relax be kind to yourself. Understand that you are going through something impossibly difficult and you are doing the best you can. Treat yourself like someone else has done a very difficult job. Beat yourself up anything you don't do will only make things harder for you to do.
Then take frequent breaks. If you don't have the spoons to deal with what's going on around you, you should rest morenot less. You try to fill your body, brain and mind as much as possible. While this may seem like a losing battle, when you can avoid it, it will be worse if you end up bedridden or hospitalized.
Managing Tasks When You Don't Have Mental Health
Next, my triage method is important. As much as I despise endless triage, it really works to manage any mental health cycle. I recommend writing down everything you need and prioritizing it. If you don't feel you can do it, get help. Someone else can see your life and what you need more clearly. Review this list every morning. Enjoy the feeling of crossing something off your list, but don't beat yourself up if your list keeps growing. Use reminders or to-do lists on your phone if you find them useful.
Next, bring in the reinforcements. Determine which items on your list can be managed by other people. Can someone else buy your medication? Can someone else mow the lawn? Can someone else have dinner? Even if it's a lower priority item, if someone else can do it, reach out and ask for help.
Then, release what you can. Yes, I said my carpet hasn't been vacuumed in months. I want to change that. I really do. But I'm leaving it until I find the resources to do so. No one has ever died from a dirty carpet.
Then sit down to work on your first assignment. Realize that you have very few mental resources. This may mean that you find difficult intellectual tasks difficult. It can also mean that you find tasks that take you out of the house difficult. It may also be that you are too tired because physical tasks have become difficult. Whatever your challenges are, recognize them and don't judge them.
Instead, find ways to deal with the hardest parts. One of the main ways I do this is by breaking things down into smaller, smaller tasks. For example, I don't empty the dishwasher; I think it's great for a variety of reasons. So every time I go into the kitchen, I empty something. If I feel good about it, I do it again. Finally, the task is completed without overloading. Similarly, I prepare for tasks, I make them easier. I can prepare the food I need for dinner at one time and cook it at another time. Each small task is more doable, and when combined, it becomes overwhelming.
An Example of Task Management When You Don't Have Mental Health
As I said above, you may need to talk yourself through the task a bit afterwards while consciously telling yourself to take deep breaths. Remember, you are dealing with a very damaged brain, so talk to yourself slowly, calmly, and simply. For example, if you need to call someone to make an appointment, try walking yourself through the process by saying each step in your head or out loud as you go:
- Practice what you want to say beforehand. Decide when you want to book the appointment.
- Be clear about your goals.
- Pick up the phone.
- Find the connection you need.
- Dial the contact.
- Talk to the contact.
- Double check your schedule.
- Make an appointment.
- Confirm the appointment by voice.
- Hang up the phone.
Yes, these are the steps to make a phone call for an appointment. I am sure you know them. That's not the point. The point is to break it all down into small parts and then work your way through them. It's the initial approach you need when your higher-order brain isn't working.
What to do when you feel you are not mentally healthy
All of the above are important. The coping techniques you use to manage tasks can get you through each day and keep you making some progress along the way, even without mental health. However, you also need to go beyond task management. You should think about how you can work to make your life a little better. Yes, treatment is a big part of it. But so is giving yourself permission to take a day off. So is eating ice cream for a day. So is having coffee with a friend. I know dealing with overwhelming mental health issues is exhausting and you may feel like you don't have time for it. But really, if you eat ice cream and do laundry tomorrow while reading a book, no one will die.
And believe that with work and help, your mental health will return. There always is.
If you feel like your mental health is slipping, know that you are not alone. Share your story below or contact a mental health professional for support
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