My Advice For Coping With Mental Illness

This post has been contributed by Alex Carter

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When you’re diagnosed with a mental condition, it can feel like you’re no longer the person you used to know. You might start to feel different from those around you and insecure about who you are. The first thing to realise is that these are normal reactions to being diagnosed with a mental illness. However, they are also unfounded. Having a mental illness doesn’t change who you are or make you different from other people. A diagnosis actually won’t change you at all. It will just help you understand why your mind works the way it does and how to cope with it. This can actually be beneficial. If you have been diagnosed with a mental illness, or you think you might have one, here is my advice.

Research The Condition

It’s important that you research the condition and learn what you can about it. That way you’ll have a better understanding of what it is and how it affects you. For instance, you might have discovered you have Asperger’s Syndrome. Asperger’s Syndrome is a condition on the Autistic spectrum. The main trait of those suffering from Asperger’s is a difficulty with human interaction. However, understanding that you have this condition can help you cope with this issue and overcome it. Within a couple years, you might find you are a lot more comfortable talking to people and socialising. Putting a label on a problem often makes it easier to deal with.

Don’t Rule Out Medication

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It’s easy to understand why many people with a mental condition rule out the possibility of taking medication. They might think that the medication will alter who they are. To better understand why this isn’t the case, you should know what medication does. Medication alters the release of chemicals in the brain. It regulates the chemicals in the same way the brains of those who do not have the condition already do. It’s exactly the same as taking a paracetamol for a headache or an injection for the flu.

Another reason people often rule out taking medication is the cost. But, a vyvanse discount card will dramatically reduce the amount you’ll need to pay annually for your prescription.

Talk To People With The Condition

One of the most important things to realise when you are diagnosed with a mental condition is that you are not alone. There are lots of other people just like you with this medical condition. To help you cope, you might find it beneficial to talk to some of them and understand what they’re going through. They may even be able to help you come to terms with your diagnosis.

Ignore The Stigma

Finally, there is a stigma attached to mental health conditions that you should ignore. The truth is that a mental health issue is no different from being in a wheelchair. It doesn’t make you any less of a person and it shouldn’t stop you living the life you want or reaching for dreams.
I hope you have found this advice useful and wish you luck coming to terms with any condition you might have.

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