“I fight for my health every day in a way most people don’t understand. I’m not lazy. I’m a warrior.” – HealthyPlace.com   

If you have bipolar disorder or any other affliction you can consider yourself a warrior.  Type in the Comments section the diagnosis of an ailment, physical or mental affliction that you battle every day. 

You might have a speech impediment, cancer, Tourettes Syndrome, anxiety, Lou Gehrig’s Disease or any of the numerous monsters I didn’t mention, you are a warrior.  You become a force to be reckoned with the moment you say “(insert your illness)” will not get the best of me”!  Of all the mental and physical ailments we have in this world, no matter your story, these monsters are extremely difficult to overcome.  And just getting out of bed, taking one step at a time, breathing in and out, YOU ARE A WARRIOR.

Preparing for Battle

Speaking as one of the brave Bipolar Disorder Warriors, I know if I go into battle, I must be prepared.  As a warrior, I need the right weapons in order to pull myself out of the pit of despair when I am depressed; keep the argument with my boss from growing into a full-blown manic episode; or letting my proper sleep hygiene disappear among the stars.

In this blog post, I am going to introduce the number one weapon I use as a Bipolar Disorder Warrior.  That weapon is prayer.

Bipolar Disorder Warriors and Prayer

The Power of Prayer

“Suffering provides the gym equipment on which my faith can be exercised.” – Joni Eareckson Tada

If you are a Christian, there are several weapons that you could use in the midst of the battle.  Remember the Armor of God?  My favorite weapon I like to go to, over and over and over again, is prayer.  Some of my most challenging fights have been won with the battle implement prayer.  Prayer taught me just how much I didn’t know about anything and especially just how much I am unfit for the battle.  Prayer directs me to the Source of Power.  That is why I pray to the One who knows everything and is Most Powerful, too.

I have been a Christian longer than I have had bipolar disorder.  When I received the bipolar diagnosis 11 years after the symptoms surfaced, I had no idea how to respond as a Christian.  Even though there is a history of mental illness on both sides of my family, that subject was never brought up at birthday parties or during the giving of gifts at Christmas.  But that didn’t matter due to the fact the Christian exposure I received at church as a child, once maybe three times or more a week, actually helped me when I was in compromising situations or when I have suicidal ideations.

Bipolar Disorder Warriors who Pray

Believing I am a Mental Health Warrior

I do not always believe I measure up as a Bipolar Disorder Warrior.  I bet some of you think that way, too.

In the midst of the roller coaster of moods, OCD, ADHD, and severe anxiety, I always expect for the warrior feeling to show up.  And of course I should expect to feel like a warrior.  God made me.  He knitted me together in my mother’s womb.  He knows the number of hairs on my head.  And those statements above are facts from the Bible, let yourself believe. 

Sometimes the belief in my prayers is likened to a direct line (without any busy signals) to the Creator of the Universe.  Other times, because I am human, I feel all I will get are busy signals or the voicemail.  I know from years of seeing God work that He will give me an answer in due time.  Whether it is yes, no, maybe, wait awhile, God will answer us in His perfect timing.

When God turns me around to stand in front of His holy mirror, I see myself as He sees me.  Standing in front of God’s mirror, I feel immersed in all of God’s power and strength. I also feel loved.  There are no personal judgements glaring at me.  I feel peace like none other before.  When I see myself the way God sees me, I become that warrior, yes, even the warrior with bipolar 1 including psychotic features, one who will walk tall and shout loudly to share God’s love for a mentally ill middle-aged woman.

At that point is when I know I am ready to face any problem inside my head or out.  The Bible says when I am weak, God is strong.  He will fight for me.  God will give me whatever signals I need to make prayer the first thing I reach for when the challenges begin!

What is the first thing you reach for when in the middle of a challenge mentally or physically?  Write your answers in the Comments section below.

Warriors Praying

Call to Action

Share about a time when you felt like a Warrior.  How does it feel to be a Warrior?  How do you conjure up those warrior feelings when the going gets tough?  Put your answers in the comment section below or email me at [email protected].

Going Furtherhttps://lifeconquering.org/anxiety-2/

https://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/faith-in-life/prayer/prayer

https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/

My Anxiety diminished by Prayer

Life Conquering and Psych Central (Mental Health Discoveries)

The post Bipolar Disorder Warriors and the Weapons They Use in Battle appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.

Is it a mental illness?

Have you ever noticed strange mental health or even physical symptoms that begin without any reason?  What do you do?  Shrug it off and pretend it was never there or be proactive and do something about it?  Below are suggestions as to what you should do if you think you might have a  mental illness.  The first thing is deciding between a therapist and a psychologist.

therapist and a psychologist

Do not be afraid of change

When I finally realized there was something wrong with me, I went straight to the people I knew I could trust.  Over the nearly 11 years that I have been diagnosed having bipolar disorder, I am on my fifth psychiatrist.  Now, I am seeing a psychologist after two therapists and a counselor.

Please be honest with yourself.  Listen to what the provider has to say and then research, research, research.  I was researching all the time and still are just to know my illness better and to see what needed to be done about it medically and therapeutically,

Now researching is not a way of elevating yourself over your doctor, therapist or psychologist.  It is a tool for you to be more informed.

Preparing for the first visit

1. I would write down a list of your strange symptoms, while they are fresh in your memory.  Include dates as well as times, special events, life-altering situations (death, baby born, loss of job, divorce, going back to school, new house).
2. Get as much information as you can about the mental health of family members.  Go as far back as you can.  I found out ta few years ago hat I have a family member on my dad’s side who had bipolar.  He also committed suicide.
3. If you have family and good friends or even close co-workers, ask them if they can shed light onto your situation.  How are you different?  Personality?  Behavior?

4. 

   therapist and a psychologist

5. Time to make the appointment with a therapist or psychologist.
6. If you are unsure of which provider to choose (therapist or psychologist), take a look at the link above titled, What is the difference between a therapist and a psychologist?  That link will explain the difference between the two as well as the pros and cons of each.

Each therapist and psychologist have their own methods as well as their obvious differences.  You may be unsure of which provider to go to.  Go to the link at the top of this page that will take you to a site to help you chose.

Going Further

How to Handle Your First Psychiatric Appointment

The post Therapist and a psychologist – making that first appointment appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.

You might not know that your mail carrier has PTSD; the barista at your favorite coffee shop has anxiety; the secretary where you work has depression; and the list goes on.  You might not think this is possible, then you need to read these 17 facts.

Here are 17 facts that prove mental illnesses are more prevalent in out society then we might have thought.  It is important for you to know and realize that mental illness is unfortunately growing.  As the science behind mental illness recovery and the medicines that are prescribed, more of the mentally ill will have the confidence to hold down a job; worship outside of their home; travel; have children; in other words, have an actual life.

17 mental illness facts

1.  61,500,000

The number of Americans who will experience a mental illness during any given year.

2.  $100,000,000,000

The economic strain on our country due to the untreated individuals with a mental illness.

untreated mental health

3.  70 – 90%

This is the percentage of individuals who are mentally ill who improved with some sort of therapy.

4.  800,000

The number of individuals who die by suicide globally.

 5.  25%

This is the percentage of mentally ill individuals who feel that others are compassionate or understanding to the mentally ill.

compassion and understanding

 6.  350,000,000

The amount of people worldwide affected by depression.

7.  79%

The percentage of all U.S. suicides carried out by men.

8.  40,000,000

The adults in America who suffer from anxiety disorders.

anxiety

9.  7.5%

The amount of college students who reported feeling depressed to the point where it negatively impacted their ability to function.

10.  22

According to a 2013 report by the DVA, this is the underestimated number of veterans who died by suicide each day.

veteran suicides

11.  10%

The percentage of children and adolescents who were disrupted in their day-to-day lives by a mental and emotional disorder.

12.  3,500,000

The figure of Americans who suffer from schizophrenia.

schizophrenia

13.  60%

The percentage of adults who didn’t receive mental health assistance in 2012.

14.  6,100,000

This is the number of bipolars who live in the U.S.

bipolar

15.  21%

“The percentage of mothers polled in a recent Baby Center survey who stated they have been diagnosed with postpartum depression. Approximately 40 percent of them did not seek medical treatment.”

16.  5,200,000

The post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) adults who suffer with this disorder in a given year.

PTSD

17.  7

“The number of people who die by suicide per hour in the Americas.”

References

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/01/mental-illness-statistics_n_6193660.html

http://www.worldbipolarday.org/

If you are contemplating hurting yourself, click on this.

The post 17 Facts about mental illness which proves it is more prevalent appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.

I would like to introduce you to  guest blogger and friend, Shane Thomas, M.A., who discusses being mentally healthy with his college students on a regular basis.  What makes Shane an expert on being mentally healthy?  He is the Director of the Advising Center for Exploratory Students (ACES) at Indiana University Southeast in Southern Indian.  In this role, Shane helps students find their true fit in a major and explore career options. When not working with students on time management, study skills, and their academic goals, he is writing songs, playing music and traveling throughout the United States.

Be Mentally Healthy While Becoming Mentally Healthy

By Shane Thomas, M.A.

As an academic advisor, I hear firsthand from students the stress that can occur when trying to adjust to college life. Beginning your academic career can be a difficult experience.  In this article, I will offer some strategies to help students become mentally healthy while in college.

One of the best ways to launch your stress management plan is to become aware of the pressure. You can do this by simply paying attention to the three areas below. Start by noticing the following:

Stress

Be aware of the stress around you:

• Know the situations that make you stressed.
• Are there certain places that make you stressed? If so, where are they?
• Do you become stressed if you are around certain people? If yes, identify them.
• Do certain subjects that you are trying to learn cause stress? List them.

Symptoms can be both physiological and behavioral when it comes to stress. Become aware of the various ways how stress can present itself.

Physiological symptoms:

• Short, rapid breathing
• Muscle tension
• Perspiration

When it comes to stress, typically the behavioral symptoms come to mind.

Behavioral symptoms:

• Irritable and not pleasant to be around.
• People can sometimes start using alcohol and/or drugs to try to cope with the stress they encounter
• If your family and friends have noticed a negative change in your behavior and habits then you could be stressed.

Having an awareness of these changes and symptoms can start you on the way to being able to be mentally healthy while in college.

Stress Management Planning

Once you develop the habit of noticing the symptoms and situations of stress, you can learn to manage them. As a college student you have the challenge of trying to balance being a student with working, having time for a social life and for yourself. Let’s look at each one of these aspects of your life and learn how to maximize them in order to be mentally healthy.

As we go through each of these areas, it is important to keep in mind that you want to plan and prioritize. This will increase the chances of you thriving in each!

Student

We will start with your role as a student first. If you are enrolled in college, your studies should be a top priority. You can lessen the probability of stress as it relates to your academics by incorporating some of these tips.

Class Work Stress

• Plan your classes in a way that best fits your sleep patterns and when you are mentally at your peak. If you are not a morning person then strongly reconsider signing up for afternoon classes.
• A good formula to remember is for every credit hour you are enrolled in, you will want to plan 2-3 hours for homework, studying and working on group projects, etc.

For example if you are a full time college student that is enrolled in 15 credit hours then you will want to plan 2-3 hours for those classes. Therefore 15 x 2-3= 30-45 hours total for the week to make sure you budget enough time to succeed in the classroom.

• Visit your institution’s financial aid office to see what options you may have to reduce the financial stress of college.
• Prioritize your classes. Know which courses will require more energy and work. A key to having a nice course schedule that doesn’t overwhelm yourself is to balance out hard classes with ones that come fairly easy to you and that you are interested in.

Now that we have made being a college student a top priority, let’s look at fitting in your professional obligations.

Work

• Most college students have to and should earn income because it is important. Through work, you can potentially learn new skills, make friends and build your professional network that can benefit you for years to come. However, the vital item to remember is resist the temptation to work too much. If you are a full time college student which is typically 12 or more credit hours per semester, then try to work no more than 20 hours per week.

Working as a college studemt

• Once you plan on working 20 hours or less a week, then make it a priority to find employment that will work around your class schedule.
• Ideally find a job that interests you and that you can gain valuable experience. You can also put the knowledge you gained on your resume. It is never too early to get skills in a field that interests you!

Social

Just as important as making time to succeed in the classroom and work, you need a social life. Human beings are social creatures that require connection with others. Here are strategies to help you devise and maintain a healthy social life. Building a healthy social life has a direct correlation to optimal mental health.

• Plan enough time to spend time with those that have your best interest at heart. Having a strong support system that you can trust is imperative. These include family members, friends, mentors or even pets. Have people in your life that you care about and that care about you.
• Get involved – but not too much! You might hear from people that work at colleges encouraging you to get involved and for good reason. Extra-curricular involvement has numerous benefits. You can make friends, hold leadership positions, build your resume and it offers opportunities to give back. However, many college students take on too much and over-commit It is highly recommended to put quality over quantity. Join 2-3 organizations and clubs that you really want to commit to and make those a priority and excel at them. However, do not get too involved so much that you neglect your academics and your grade point average suffers.

Personal

Last but certainly not least is finding time for yourself. “Me time” is synonymous with being mentally healthy. Let’s look at some ways to make the most out of our personal time.

Me Time

• Make sure you take care of yourself and your health. If you don’t look after yourself then you won’t be in good shape to thrive academically, professionally, or socially. Unfortunately, many students try to take care of everyone but themselves. Therefore plan to get 30 minutes or more of physical activity at least 5 days a week if not daily. Also get plenty of sleep and rest that is free from distractions. Make nutritious food choices.
• Prioritize time for things that you enjoy doing. This could be watching Netflix, traveling, or cooking. It doesn’t matter what the activity.  What does matter is that you like engaging in them.
• Besides getting adequate activity, nutrition and sleep, make sure you have enough quiet time to de-stress and reflect. The contemplation, relaxation and deep breathing that results from activities such as mediation, yoga, and tai chi have been shown to improve mental health.

There you have it. A blueprint for you to be mentally healthy during your college years. To summarize, be aware of the things that can elevate your stress. Then when stressful situations arise and they will, be aware of both the physical and behavioral symptoms of stress. Next, plan your life in a way that allows you to optimally balance being a student with having a productive, fulfilling professional and social life, while still allowing time for yourself. Finally, prioritize the things that you need to do in each of these areas along with things that are important to you and bring you enjoyment.

College Graduate

College can be one of the biggest transitions you will ever make in your life. And stress can sometimes accompany transitions. However, college can also be some of those most memorable times of your life. Your college years can be one of tremendous growth and a time when you become your own person and find your way in life. Hopefully some of the tips in this article cannot only help you survive but thrive mentally while you are on the road to become a college graduate.

IUS image via https://www.ius.edu/

Contacting Shane Thomas

Below are the links where you can find Shane Thomas, M.A. on the internet.

Website: https://www.shanethomasmusic.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNWSy2Yt8vj6Z8Pgp64okjw

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Shanesmusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanethomasmusician/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shanethomasmusician/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/share?app=110&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.shanethomasmusic.com%2F

RSS: https://www.shanethomasmusic.com/feed/

Email: https://www.specificfeeds.com/shanethomasmusic

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_srch_drd_B0014OOIUO?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=Shane%20Thomas&index=digital-music&search-type=ss

Going Further

Ways to Reduce Stress

About Amy Pierce Romine

I am a content and freelance writer, published writer, award-winning blogger, public speaker, copy editor and social media consultant.   Life Conquering Blog for Mental Health was chosen to be one of the “Top 100 Bipolar Blogs”.  Please visit my award-winning blog at the address below.

 https://blog.feedspot.com/bipolar_disorder_blogs/. 

Check us out on the web and become a Follower while you are there.

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lifeconquering/

Twitter https://twitter.com/lifeconquering

Google + https://plus.google.com/u/0/+LifeConquering

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lifeconquering/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-pierce-romine-a22153147/

FOLLOW. LIKE. SHARE.

https://lifeconquering.org/

mental health blog

The post Guest Blogger, Shane Thomas, M.A., on Becoming Mentally Healthy appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.