mental health awareness week

 

It is Mental Health Awareness Week this week and in honour of this occasion I will go into some detail about my struggles with all the issues that I have

I have a vast list of disorders that I am officially diagnosed with. The list goes like this

Atypical Anorexia

Autism

Borderline Personality Disorder 

CPTSD

ATYPICAL ANOREXIA

This is where the person with this issue presents as an average body type but does everything that a person with anorexia does like fast for long periods, and take laxatives and water tablets to help them lose weight. Purge whatever they consume and many more traits that an anorexia sufferer does to maintain their weight loss.

AUTISM

I was diagnosed with high-functioning autism two years ago. The term Aspergers Syndrome was used but has now been made redundant.  I am not on any medication for it - I just 'plod' along the best I can however I can see the signs in my childhood looking back.

BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER

BPD is a personality disorder that is characterised by severe mood swings, impulsive behaviour and difficulty forming stable personal relationships. Impulsive behaviour is things such as overspending on things you do not need, self-harming (which I struggle with), promiscuity (not guilty of this) and other behavioural issues. This is a serious, long-lasting and complex mental health problem. 

CPTSD

This stands for Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This is when you have PTSD from a traumatic event or events in your past - or present and have other mental health conditions that co-exist. I've been diagnosed with this for a few years now. 

I am on several medications for my mental health issues and they have quite severe side effects that go with them. Part of my BPD is that I hear voices - not voices that are telling me to do bad things but voices that tell me I am worthless and ugly and stupid. This in turn increases my depression and anxiety and I take an antipsychotic for it. It makes me very tired and I struggle to stay awake, however, I take sleeping tablets sometimes as I cannot shut the voices up sometimes.

WHAT HELPS? 

What helps me is not what might help you, and I am no medical professional so if you think you need help with your mental health please do not hesitate to see your GP. 

I do a lot of art and I go to an art class every Tuesday. This helps keep my mind occupied but not too occupied that my brain gets fried! I also do art at home and I have a vast array of art stuff to keep the voices at bay. I also like to study but I have to be careful this does not overwhelm me. I study at the Open University studying for an open degree that deals with literature. I also read ALOT!! and I have a cast collection of books to choose from 

Thank you for paying a visit to my humble little blog - I do not have all the answers and I am not medically trained - this is just about how i deal with things and as I said above. please do go and see your GP or health practitioner if you need help

Thank you again

Jo

xx 

  This is a picture I drew at my art class - I quite like it