Voices For Mental Health: Stefanie Preissner, on coping

For me, mental health is a spectrum. We all have mental health the way we all have physical health. Sometimes our physical health is great and sometimes we’re unwell. It’s exactly the same with your mind. Sometimes all is well and sometimes we go through periods of poor mental health. It doesn’t have to be a huge diagnosis of mental illness for everyone, for someone it may be a brief period of feeling stressed, sad, anxious or anything else on the spectrum. If I leave a cough or cold go untreated, it invariably develops into a full on chest infection. Similarly if I can treat my poor mental health early, it’s much easier to arrest it and turn it around.

People don’t like to admit that they’re vulnerable. It can be hard to say that you’re sad or anxious or fearful. I really want to change that conversation. We can only change this by being brave enough to say we’re not brave. I’m not brave.
I am very often afraid.
I am afraid I wont be good enough.
I am afraid of being in pain.
I am afraid of being dependent.
I am afraid that I’m too much.
I am afraid that people will leave me.
I am afraid that I might have nothing more to offer.
I am afraid of disappointing people.
I am afraid I’ll never be the best.
I am afraid of people being far, far away.
I am afraid of being demanding.
I am afraid of not being everything to everyone.
I am afraid of not being something to someone.

I am also afraid that I think too much.

I realise now that my mental health is my responsibility.

Here are some of the things I do to cope with the ups and downs of life…
I cry
I talk to my friends about the big stuff
I spend time with my Nana
I walk and listen to podcasts
I say no
I have reduced the amount of stress I can cope with
I sleep
I reach out
I read
I unfollow
I reach out for help

Share your fears, share your joy, remember that we’re not algorithms or machines. We’re human and life is messy. Share with me @stefaniepreissner

Now We're Talking 2019
A partnership between Lyons Tea, Pieta House & Hot Press.
Let’s break the stigma and take the dialogue about mental health issues onto a new level
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