One of the things I had to learn in an effort to manage my Clinical Depression, was to look for the positive in everything. This was so stinking hard in the beginning. It was so outside of my nature that I have had to practice long and hard to see that life does not have to be as serious as I always thought it had to be. With that attitude in mind, I thought I would list thirteen benefits of having a mental illness. If you think of something you would like to see added to the list, put it in the comment section and I will add it.
- My life goes according to my schedule most of the time. One of the things that used to stress me out so much was always having to be someplace on time. Whether it was picking up kids, or getting the grocery shopping done at a decent time, or going on outings, it would all stress me out. Now that I cannot drive very much because of how sleepy my depression medications make me, someone else is responsible for keeping the schedule Also because of the sleepiness, I now have a really good reason for why I do not do mornings, and why I need at least one nap a day.
- I am much more thankful than I used to be. I have had to learn to rely on other people. I have had to learn how to say “I need help with something.” That has made me appreciate the people in my life much more than I used to.
- I have a voice! In the past I rarely said what I meant, and meant what I said. I was always watching what I said, out of fear of angering someone, or offending someone, or even making my needs known above someone else’s. Now that I have a voice, I say what I mean and I mean what I say. I am direct and honest with people, and I make my needs known. I offer my opinions and thoughts. I still try to not offend people, but I do speak my mind. It is very liberating to just talk and express myself without the constant worry about who might take what I said the wrong way.
- I have made personal connections. When Clinical Depression began to rule my life, I lost my friends. Most of it was due to my behavior. I was not a very nice person before my recovery process began. Since I have been doing better and have been putting myself out into the internet world, I have met so many wonderful people. They know that I have a mental illness and they do not care about that diagnosis one bit. Those friendships mean a great deal to me.
- No. I remember when my daughter was little and she did not want to listen to the word no. I had a little song I that I would sing, I believe Lunette the Clown from The Big Comfy Couch was the inspiration behind it. The words were simple and the tune could be anything you wanted. It went something like this. “No means no, means no, means no, means no….” In the past saying the word no was something I struggled with. Often that meant I would take on more than I could handle, get over-whelmed and stressed out, and then everything would fall apart. Now when I find that I am struggling with sticking to my no, I start singing my No song and let people know that I cannot take on anymore than I already have on my plate because I have a mental illness and if I were to get overwhelmed I would very likely have a melt down.
- The Mail. I know this is going to sound totally insane, but I used to obsess about the mail. I was convinced that if anyone other than me checked the mail, then there would be something disastrous in the mailbox. Once I realized that the mail was a huge source of my anxiety, I chose to no longer get the mail from the mailbox. Not only do I not have the stress of the mail anymore, but my husband is now in charge of the bills. Being too anxious to check the mail got rid of two sources of stress at the same time.
- I have learned to laugh. I used to be so serious all the time. Not anymore. I have learned that laughter feels good. I laugh at myself, I laugh with others, I laugh when I am all by myself. I laughed when I re-read what I wrote about my mail box anxiety.
- My life is simple. I keep things in my life simple now. No long exaggerated lists of things to do, clothes to wear, or suppers to cook. Keeping things simple, frees up my time to do other things.
- I take risks. I will take chances now that I never would have before. I always liked everything very predictable. Nothing could spin me out of control faster than things not going according to my plan. Having a mental illness has taught me that nothing can really be planned. Once I start planning, then I start worrying, then I become obsessed with worrying and then….you get the picture. Now, for the most part, my life does not go according to a plan. I am stepping out my comfort zone and trying new things, like writing.
- I have a better perspective. I have learned to not sweat the little stuff. Because of my depression, I cannot get bogged down by the little things. It would be too easy for it to trigger a depressed episode.
- I am a better person than I used to be. I had my own very negative ideas about what people with mental illnesses were like. Now I am one of those people and I have come to realize that people with mental illnesses are not anything like I thought they were.
- Helping Others. Being willing to talk about my illness helps others. It lets them know they are not alone with their thoughts and feelings and there are things that can be done to feel better.
- I take better care of myself. I value my life and health much more than I used to. I spend the time and energy necessary to monitor my other illnesses and do the things I am supposed to in order to manage them.
I love having a dog. For me, that unconditional love and acceptance I get from them is irreplaceable. Just petting Minnie’s little head, or having her curl up under the covers with me makes me feel good. I can talk to her and she listens, at least I think she does. She seems to know when I am not feeling well, because she will curl up next to or on me and comfort me.