| The most difficult thing to deal with when you have | | | | illness. The need for stability in routine is a very |
| been diagnosed with mental illness may be the stigma | | | | common factor in patients with mental illness. |
| attached to it. Learning how to cope and deal with | | | | Feeling overwhelmed often accompanies something |
| other people's perceptions of you, may make you feel | | | | as simple as a task that is too large or broad to be |
| like hiding your problems. This can make life even more | | | | easily defined so it is easy to get too scattered in your |
| stressful than it already is because of your illness. | | | | approach to it, and it leaves you feeling like you can't |
| The first thing to realize that will help you cope with | | | | do it. |
| your problem is that it is, in fact, an illness. It is not | | | | Order your days and any situations you face in small |
| something you made up. It is not something you can | | | | groups of things to do in order to accomplish each |
| control, or choose. It is not, and probably the most | | | | goal. That will help you feel a sense of |
| common misconception others may have surrounding | | | | accomplishment while also giving you the assurance |
| mental illness, a matter of you feeling sorry for | | | | that you are in control of the situation, and it is not too |
| yourself. | | | | big to handle. |
| You have an illness. The good news is it is a treatable | | | | Give yourself credit for being human. While a lot of |
| illness. Once you yourself come to grips with the truths | | | | issues you face are compounded by your illness, the |
| surrounding your mental illness, truths regarding the | | | | fact is most of those things that are so highlighted by |
| misconceptions that you also have had ingrained from | | | | your disease that they seem out of proportion, or |
| birth by society, you will be able to face others with | | | | make you feel singled out, are really things that happen |
| the self confidence and assurance that will give them | | | | to everybody and not something to get upset over. |
| pause to realize you are not defined by an illness. | | | | Keep yourself busy. Staying active and involved in |
| Treat your illness as something that is a matter of fact, | | | | both social activities and hobbies goes a long way to |
| when talking about it with others. Hiding it won't make it | | | | helping those with mental illnesses cope on a daily |
| go away, and will only make you seem evasive and | | | | basis. There is a tendency to draw back from others |
| untrustworthy. Not making a huge issue of it, and yet | | | | because you may feel insecure about how they will |
| accepting and explaining the realities of it calmly allow it | | | | react to you. Give them a chance and you may be |
| to be simply a statement of your physical well being | | | | surprised at how open your friends and others will |
| rather than a scary unknown emotional instability. | | | | treat you. If people drawback, then shrug it off. It is |
| The realities of mental illness are things you can help to | | | | there loss. That happens to anybody not just you, and |
| control along with medications that soothe the physical | | | | you can't help how someone else is going to react. |
| triggers of mental illness. You know what triggers your | | | | Keep yourself healthy. Regular exercise is a great |
| own bouts of mental illness whether it's manic or | | | | way to keep yourself feeling good both physically and |
| depression, or any of the other mental illnesses. | | | | mentally. Regulate your alcohol consumption as it can |
| Everyone has different triggers so knowing what | | | | aggravate mental illnesses and make things worse. |
| works for you may not work for the guy next to you | | | | Above all else, enjoy your life and have a positive |
| even if he has exactly the same illness. | | | | attitude. You can live a healthy, happy life while learning |
| Some things tend to go along with all forms of mental | | | | to control your mental illness. |