10 Terrible Mental Health Mistakes That Cost Me Bad
I made them. So you don’t have to.
“It’s all in your head.”
“Why are you always down and low?”
“You just need to start thinking positively.”
“Stress and anxiety are just fancy terms these experts use to trick you into lifelong misery.”
Sound familiar?
I’ve heard it all the time. (I still do.) I’m sure you’ve heard this a gazillion times too. If not directly addressed to you, you might’ve overheard it, at the very least.
But don’t let these statements fool you.
Because depression is as much a physical illness as a mental illness.
I’ll unveil it in some time. Stay with me.
But before that,
I’ve been MIA for a long time now. And I thought, What better time for a comeback than in my birthday month with an anecdote of my birthday three years ago?
Let’s go…
Somewhere Amidst The Journey
It was July 2020, the afternoon of my birthday. It was just another ordinary girl happily celebrating her day with her friends. Nothing too fancy. Nothing too distinct. But as the Sun faded, making way for the moonlight, it welcomed another Regular night.
Only…
Mine and your definition of “regular” were different.
In 2020, A regular night for me meant
- Disturbed mental health
- Intense bounds of breakdown,
- A feeling of numbness and emptiness,
- A sense of losing everything (including myself),
and
- Continuous attempts to end the suffering
A treacherous suffering that was not allowing me to live.
The same day...
While celebrating being born in the morning, I regretted being alive at night and not yet vanishing. It was another Regular night of breakdowns and Self-blaming. It was one of the many nights of my attempts to end my suffering.
An attempt that failed. For good. AGAIN.
Or should I say, “A successful failure?”
A Present That’s Different, Or Is It?
In May 2023, when I shared with my best friend that I’d gone out after a long time and sent a snap from the day, her immediate reply was: “Mythri, you look different.”
I gave her a myriad of reasons:
“It might be due to how I’ve tied my hair.”
“It’s because I’ve lost weight.”
“It’s the tanning.”
But she ruthlessly declined all my reasons and sent me a collage of pictures taken before and after my depression worsened.
The reality trampled on my assumptions like a bulldozer!
And nothing broke my heart like it did.
- A face that lacked life
- A smile minus the charm
- A physique that looked like a zombie
It left me in a thought spiral…
I kept questioning myself.
“10 years of clinical depression. What did I do?”
“Where did it all go wrong?”
And here’s what I realized…
Where It All Went Wrong: 10 Solid Realizations
- I assumed it’d be okay
- I thought it was just a phase
- I kept all the suffering to myself
- I didn’t share my distress with anyone
- I scooped down to my lowest for love
- I kept acting like everything was okay
- I didn’t give enough importance to the treatment
- I miscalculated that I’d get better if situations got better
- I neglected the physical manifestations of my mental health.
Most importantly…
10. I misunderstood that staying silent and dealing with it alone would make me strong.
Which, obviously, didn’t work.
And it took me over 97 hours of therapy sessions, a broken heart, and damaged physical health to realize my mistakes.
And another 14400 hours to put the lessons learned into practice. But you don’t have to spend that many hours. You can learn them in less than 5 minutes through this write-up.
Lessons Learned Through Therapy
I’m grateful to have had access to expert psychiatrists and therapy. Because imagining a healed self without their help and guidance seems near impossible. The course of my healing journey taught me a multitude of lessons. It made me a better and more powerful version of myself. I’ll keep the details for a later post, maybe.
But here are some essential pointers I want you to read, remember, and engrave in your subconscious:
- Small changes in how we speak about or to ourselves change how we perform
- You are not what happens to you. You are how you choose to respond to it
- A shift in perspective can transform how you live every day
- Putting yourself before others is not selfishness
- Your mindset can make or break you
- Setting boundaries is crucial
- Learn to say No
The thing is...
Out of everything you can lose over time, the worst thing you can lose is YOURSELF. Thus, even if you see the slightest symptoms of feeling low, get help. Talk to someone, anyone you trust.
What Next?
While I know my physical and mental health will take time to heal, I won’t stop
- Setting goals
- Taking steps toward them
- Working on my client projects
- Learning and exploring new things
Why?
Because letting limitations stop you is not the way forward.
I’d say approach them like exams at the end of every semester to test your learning and capabilities.
The result might not be in your favour.
But, you’ll regret not trying more than the outcome.
Leaving you with this
I made my fair share of mistakes and learned lessons the hard way. Now, I’m healing one moment at a time, openly talking about my mental health, and I’ve given a positive spin to my mental health journey by making the most of my life and lessons.
How, you ask?
- By sharing my story, I empower others like me
- By writing content for mental health brands to enlighten those struggling
Why do I do that?
Because there’s no guarantee that all attempts worldwide will become ‘Successful Failures,’ right?
If I want you to take one thing from this 5-minute read, It’s this:
“You have more days ahead of you than those left behind. Stop dwelling on the past and move to a better future.”
Are you regularly checking on yourself?
Going through an unfavourable situation? To learn how you can make the most of it, read:
7 Simple Yet Powerful Mindset Shifts for Success I Learned the Hard Way
12 Goals to Set In 2022: Ideal for a More Rewarding and Successful Year
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