Thoughts to make you feel better

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Mental illness can be very discouraging. Sometimes, you just need a little boost of positivity to help you get through a challenging time. So if you are having one of those days, here are some thoughts that might make things seem a little more okay.

You deserve help

A sense of worthlessness often accompanies mental illness. When your ability to function and be productive is compromised, you can feel like you aren’t earning your place in the world. If you can’t give, then why should you receive? Alternately, if your problems are minimal, what makes you deserve help when it seems like others need it more?

The truth is, everyone deserves help. Everyone. No matter what. Help is not a limited resource. It is not something that is carefully allocated to whoever has earned it or is the most needy. Getting help can take so many forms, from having a cup of coffee with a neighbor to spending time in in-patient treatment. And even when you are receiving help, you might be giving it, too. A friend who listed to you might feel wanted and like her life has some purpose because you chose to open up to her. Your therapist could become a better clinician because he is working with you, furthering his ability to help others. You can’t make yourself an exception to everyone. You are a human being. You deserve help, no matter what you are or aren’t giving back.

You are not your struggles

Mental illness is not your identity. The way you handle it says more about you than the fact that you have it in the first place. Mental illness can happen to anyone at any time. You are not a flawed person for struggling with it. That’s just your particular battle at this point in time. When we admire someone, we don’t look up to her because of the odds she faced. We admire her because of what she did despite them. 

There are so many things that are more important and interesting about you than what your diagnosis is. What matters the most to you? What makes you passionate? Who do you love? What makes you laugh? Why do you keep trying? These are who you are. Having a name for a disorder can help a clinician get a general sense of what he’s dealing with, but it doesn’t mean much beyond that. Who you are has a larger impact on your life that what you are up against.

Trying means you are strong

The work it takes to recover can be astounding. It’s flat-out overwhelming at times. You might not be able to fix everything, but the fact that you are trying – even if it’s just a little bit – is an incredible feat of courage. Mental illness will try to make you succumb to it. It will tell you whatever it needs to in order to gain control over your life. But if you are putting forth effort, you are saying that you’re not giving in. Even if you slip up, the strength it takes to say you’ll try again anyway outweighs that mistake. And that is amazing. 

The smallest bit of effort can be a large victory because you aren’t on neutral ground. You’re not getting out of bed when you have a wonderful day to look forward to. You’re getting out of bed when everything inside of you is screaming at you to stay. You are going outside when you are crippled by fear. You take a chance by saying, “I’ll get through another day,” even when as far back as you can recall, all the days were miserable. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but your determination to keep trying is an incredible feat.

What do you tell yourself when you get discouraged? Share your motivators in the comments.