What Does Being in Recovery From Mental Health Disorders Look Like?

It starts with self-acceptance.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD affects 40 million adults ages 18 years or older in the United States per year on average. Anxiety can feel different for everyone. For me, I experience a fluttering heart that palpitates through me, at times making it hard to breathe or catch my breath.

Sometimes I even feel dizzy from hyperventilating. Usually, being held closely by someone instantly relieves this terribly uncomfortable state of being.

Deep, concentrated breathing does wonders, and listening to jazz typically helps as well.

The stigma of people who struggle with mental health is unfortunately still a significant problem in society today, despite how many “normal” people struggle with a mental health disorder or condition.

Mental Distress is a Normal Part of Life

It doesn’t have to be secret or weird to disclose our struggles with their mental health from time to time. It should be normal to express how we are handling significant obstacles in our day-to-day life when our mental health is shaking.

When more people talk about mental health, it helps spread awareness that it is more common than some may realize. Most importantly, it provides an inclusive atmosphere for those struggling.

My mantra is “baby steps.”

Nothing is Wrong With You

Many folks struggling with anxiety and depression feel like there is something wrong with them or that they are an outcast for dealing with the issues they face.

Together, we are all responsible for changing the narrative and guiding our youth to feel comfortable enough sharing their innermost thoughts, fears, and worries.

Experiencing mental health issues is normal. The human experience is meant to entail the entirety of the spectrum of emotions.

It’s just in our nature.

We learn through contact with the ebbs and flows of life. Pain and grief shape us. Regrowth and regeneration remind us to appreciate the trying times helping us to come out on top stronger and wiser. And when we speak about mental health, we help raise others up and lift the veil behind the stereotypes of what it means to struggle with our minds.

Recovery

Being in recovery means being able to see substantial growth in oneself, and love yourself even if you momentarily fall into stale habits you were certain you’d outgrown.

When I’m faced with arduous dilemmas or triggers, I am usually able to quiet my mind and respond rather than react. This is a major transcendence for me since I struggled to maintain my temper and manage my anger in previous years.

I attribute this to many things, particularly the framework in which I was raised and initially taught how to react to life. It’s taken me many years to release the resentfulness I held towards my parents.

I’m now wise enough to realize that they did the best they could. They did a wonderful job, even when they made “mistakes” and worked through their own traumas along the way.

It’s a Lifelong Journey

Being in recovery by no means equates to perfection. Recently, I have had bouts of debilitating anxiety resurface due to mental fatigue and a reconfigured career path. I bravely left a stable full-time position in an effort to seek a more meaningful career that embraces my passion for writing.

As I enter the clouded unknown, I am both terrified and elated about what is to come for me in my future endeavors as I begin a new position.

Recovery from anxiety and depression is a consistent battle. I have been trying to wean myself off helpful Western medicine used as a treatment for my conditions for many years.

Despite this, I lack proper guidance and education regarding alternatives like psilocybin therapy and others I’m not even aware of.

Recovery Looks Different for Everyone

There is no one way to recover. My mantra is “baby steps.” The words keep me grounded and help me continuously push forward to improve my health, wellbeing, mental clarity, and physical body.

Recovery lasts indefinitely, and I have finally accepted that. Recovery means taking responsibility for oneself, and avoiding playing the role of victim.

I am in recovery from mental health issues like anxiety and depression, each day testing my strengths and weaknesses.

I carry on, remain dedicated, and love myself more each day. I raise my standard of living in an effort to provide myself with the life that I deserve.

If you are struggling with a mental health illness, know that you are never alone, there is always hope, and things will get better. Sending love to you. Recovery is always possible.

Feeling down? Check out these FREE printable + downloadable positive affirmation posters for your office, sacred space, or bedroom.✨

More on mental health by me…

Tap into positivity at Live Life Now, my new blog✨

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