As part of Mental Health Month, I will be sharing more on what my day to day life can be like as a Christian living with Bipolar 2 Disorder, Generalised Anxiety and Panic Disorder. I hope to uncover some real life battles that go on and how I am learning to manage the onslaught, fight the battle and come out stronger in my faith and my wellbeing.
Being real, and working toward understanding who we are, is really hard work. It's not just daily, it can be hourly. Minute by minute. But over the past six months or so I've been learning (much to my frustration, of course) some keys that seem to be relevant in moving forward and becoming more healthy … Continue reading Three Keys to Being Real
Today I want to talk about overcoming the fear of the unknown. I realise that everyone deals with 'the unknown' in different ways and the things that cause them to fear it are complex, unpredictable and diverse. My current challenges lie within two predominant areas: flying and being around large congested crowds. I'm going to … Continue reading Overcoming The Fear of The Unknown, One Panic Attack at a Time
Just over two weeks ago I flew from Sydney to Paris, caught the fast train to Bordeaux and spent the next 12 days in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. After two more days whirling around Paris to see The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Musèe de Orsay, Notre Dame and the Gardens … Continue reading Am I depressed or just exhausted? Learning the difference.
***UPDATE*** I've finally had a formal assessment for my mental health. Even though I feel the jury is still out on Cyclothymia, my psychiatrist has confirmed the original diagnosis of Bipolar 2, Generalised Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder. To be honest, I am not worried. I am still 'relearning' about Bipolar 2 and how it differs from Cyclothymia, and … Continue reading The daily swings explained: understanding a Cyclothymic mind.
I tried. I really did. But then my brain started shooting off emails to the rest of my body and before I knew it, my stomach was replying to the morning instructions with growls. Twenty minutes passed and I had fully constructed this post in my mind. Bugger. I'm fully awake now. Sigh.
I am a hopeless case - I just can’t write bullshit. I can’t pretend to write stuff that doesn’t touch the heart and pull it out into the light. I can’t devote my energy, time, point of view or ideologies to words that when strung together are ‘just fine’
Can these critics honestly say that social cyber relationships are inferior or even bad? What will they say to a friend who reaches out on Facebook and says they are suffering with depression, anxiety, or even thoughts of suicide?
I could never understand why I didn't finish this picture, because it always felt unfinished, like much of what I put my hand to. But now that I see it here I realise that there is a really good reason - I am not yet finished.
Today has been hard. Not 'can't get out of bed and face the world hard' but hard all the same. More like 'Remember to breathe, Miriam' hard: the kind where you have to send yourself little messages all day to keep calm, not let small things upset you and remind yourself that this is not … Continue reading A life lived or a life that just exists?
