POSITI V I T Y A N D P R OD U C T I V I T Y Taking your mental health diagnosis into your own hands
S
o that’s it. You’ve left the doctor’s office and after months (possibly even years) of speculating, you’ve been diagnosed with a mental health condition, likely with a fresh prescription in hand and a spell of therapy on the cards. Congratulations. That kind of conviction takes courage. I’m so proud of you. But what now? Will the medication work? What about the side-effects? Where do I go from here? Who do I confide in? This is how I felt when I was first diagnosed. I’ve had two separate diagnoses. One in 2013, for severe depression and anxiety, and the other only two months ago, where after suffering from severe mood swings I had the little-known disorder cyclothymia (the same malady that affects Stephen Fry) ascribed to me. Both times, these questions came to mind. But I grappled with this new mental reality very differently on each occasion. Five years ago, I wasn’t in a good place. I was the perfectionist with straight A grades trying to maintain that same academic success in a university I was convinced was way too elite for me. In response, I buried myself ever-deeper into my work—studying for ten hours a day for months on end in sheer determination to be the best in my year. I barely slept, hardly ate, and constantly
reprimanded myself for being ‘stupid’ and ‘useless’ every time I had the audacity to stop working—even for a minute. Consequently, I had to take two years out of my studies due to an even deeper (but not unexpected) dip in my mental health. Now, thankfully, I’m in a much better place, with a good—although definitely not top of the class (oh well!)—degree, a job I enjoy, and the most amazing support system a girl could ask for. Still, that second diagnosis rocked me. This time however, I was determined not to fall into the same patterns of thinking as before. That’s what brought me to writing this article. From the day I was diagnosed with cyclothymia I’ve been on a path of recovery—set by myself, for myself. I’ve employed techniques and adjusted my entire way of living and thinking in order to create the healthiest environment for my mental health possible. Now, therefore, I want to share these methods with you. I hope this proactive approach will also enable you not to just simply live with your disorder but to embrace it as a friend. More importantly however, these techniques are to help you to contain your disorder rather than, like the period after my first diagnosis, letting it sweep you off your feet completely.
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