Where do I start ?

[lifegoeson]

If I'm ready to recover where do I begin ? I'm in my early 20s if that changes anything

 

[muffin222]

I recommend beginning to re-train your mind by focusing on gratitude. Everyday, take a moment to mentally list 10 things you're grateful for in your current life. These can be tangible things like Internet, your favorite food, or your family, or they can be intangible aspects of your life such as health, freedom, etc.

I recommend doing this around the same time everyday in order to solidify the habit. I personally do it everyday when I sit down to eat breakfast. By focusing on gratitude, we gradually re-condition our minds to notice the positives instead of hyper-focusing on the negative aspects of life. I've noticed a difference in my overall mood and outlook over time through maintaining this habit everyday.

I wish you the absolute best with your recovery

 

[WinterIsComing]

Sleep early and do your bed. Gratitude is also really good as Muffin said. It may sound stupid but doing the bed makes you a feeling of making something and sleeping early helps to control your emotional mood. Of course thats a start, then do your food a clean your room and have a good hygiene, excercise. Do it step by step. It may not work all the time but have to keep doing it, then you can go with the psychological part which is gratitude, meditation, or saying good things to you in the mirror.
And don't think in the future, think in the moment, the thoughts are going to tell you that is absurd, don't listen to them. Try doing this for a month and see if that works for you.

Good luck.

 

[signifying nothing]

If I'm ready to recover where do I begin ? I'm in my early 20s if that changes anything

I think it depends a lot on where you are right now. Your situation, home environment, your potential support structures, etc. And what is it you're looking to recover from, what would recovery look like to you?

 

[everydayiloveyou]

It'll probably depend on what you have, struggle with, and what you need to change.

If you're mainly dealing with depression, then you'll have a different plan than if your main issue was an anxiety disorder. Similarly, having addiction or trauma changes things around too. Have you ever been diagnosed or seen a mental health professional before?

Then there's the severity of your problems. Are you able to go outside and be independent? Do you work or go to school? If your mental health issues significantly impair your life then you need to be careful about what you do. If you are having trouble attending to your basic needs, you need to start there before you try the typical self-care stuff like meditating or joining a knitting club, since taking good care of yourself tends to give you the most relief and improvement quickly. Also it's easy to get overwhelmed and give up on the harder parts of recovery if you can't do the little steps first. This part is mostly relevant to more severe cases of anxiety or depression though, idk if thats the condition you're in.

Whether or not you know what you have, I think a CBT workbook + journalling is always helpful, especially for depression. There's lots of free workbooks on libgen for all sorts of circumstances and topics. Try to catalouge all of your bad thoughts every night. Let it all out. Then, the next day, reread your entries. Sometimes you will look at them and go "that was so silly, why was i so hard on myself?" but other times you'll feel all sad again, and that's when you should utilize CBT. Try to identify what's a distorted thought vs. what's a healthy one -- e.g. if something turns out badly -> your life is over, that's an example of catastrophizing. But it's ok to feel sad when you mess up at work, or disappointed when a job interview turns out badly. And you shouldn't feel guilty for that, but it's dangerous when that simple sad feeling becomes a depressed, suicidal feeling. Figure out why your distorted thoughts came about and what triggers them, and then decide how you will either healthily cope with it or fight against them.

Then of course there's the usual recovery advice like taking up a hobby and using bath bombs. I personally found focusing on my basic needs and CBT more helpful than anything, but it's up to you! Everyone has different things that they want to change. If meditating helps you more than journalling, then for sure do that instead. Just try to be realistic and gentle on yourself. You will probably be on this journey for a long time, so set reasonable expectations and don't feel bad if you fall off the wagon for a while. If you quality of life improves even a little, then that's a success, even if you aren't living the dream life you have in your head.

It's great that you're choosing this path, good luck!

 

[LittleBabyNothing]

Remember recovery is slow and not linear, you'll move forwards and backwards as you progress, that's ok.
Start simple, healthy habits... gratitude, wellbeing, sleep and happy hits... be aware of your feelings and thoughts, use a journal however works best for you and slowly you'll find your way.
Accessing treatment and therapy is always a challenge, fight for all that is available, try anything, if it doesn't work for you, don't be defeated, keep exploring, keep asking for support.
Be patient with yourself, be kind to yourself and stay beautiful x

 

[Sherri]

I dunno your history nor you have to share it with us, but if it's depression follow the comments above and try to find a therapist first, talk it all out to him or her, your inner pain and despair, if you still feel down then the road to take is a theorist and a psychiatrist to give you some medication that will help you to feel a bit better. I wish you the best of luck, we all here have it and some have it even worse than us. What I always tell myself and others is don't Give up before giving depression a long fight. Hugs and my pm is always open if you need someone to talk.