Over the years, in dealing with my mental health issues, the ones closest to me have had to ride the emotional rollercoaster with me. Sometimes, in our struggles with mental illness, we can forget that we’re not the only ones affected by it. It’s not that we’re selfish, it’s just that we’ve been in survival mode for too long to possess an awareness of how others may feel.
Today’s quote of the day is something my wife said to me a couple years back when I was in an intense season of depression.
“If you don’t heal from what hurt you, you’ll bleed on those who didn’t cut you.”
-Unknown
As much as I feel ashamed to admit it, when I’m depressed, sometimes I lash out with anger. If I’m self medicating with alcohol, it only serves to exacerbate the guilt, shame, bitterness, and resentment. In an effort to retain some diginity, I can become angry. Unfortunately, I will “bleed” on those closest to me. Thankfully, I’ve quit drinking (2 months sober). Obviously, this has made a big difference in how I process these negative emotions.
On the other side of the coin, our family members, out of love for us can make the mistake of enabling us. Because we have a mental illness, they can feel sorry for us and give a free pass to the emotional abuse we put them through. This isn’t healthy. Just because we have mental health issues doesn’t mean they have to be drug through the mud, or be made to pay for our inability to cope in healthier ways.
In this regard, this blog has been a great outlet for me to sort myself out. Having a place to put my ideas and thoughts down is extremely helpful. As an analytical person who can have far too many thoughts for one head, being able to write has been a God send.
Share with me some of your favorite hobbies/coping mechanisms that have helped you in the comments below. If you’d like to receive more content like this, subscribe so you can receive new content directly to your inbox as soon as it’s published.
I’d love hearing from you! If you’d like to say hi or would like to make content recommendations/share constructive feedback, feel free to reach out to me at info@danielfortune.blog.
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