Improving my MH

[ImprovingMyMH]

I'm just starting this thread for some accountability really.

So, things that make my MH better:
Getting enough sleep
Eating properly
Exercising
Mindfulness
Feeling on top of things (although this is a bit chicken and egg)

Things that make it worse:
Getting my period
Lack of sunlight

I want to do everything that I possibly can to improve my MH for ~3 months.

Does anyone fancy joining me?

Today's good things:
Worked
Agreed to a go to a group dinner
Texted a friend
Went for a walk in the sun with DH
Meditated

I tend to pull back from relationships with family and friends when I'm struggling, then I wish I had closer relationships with them when I'm okay . So, I'm going to try to put a bit more effort into maintaining relationships.

Hello, can I join in too?
I'm struggling with my MH following my marriage breakdown 3 weeks ago. People keep telling me I'm strong and will get through it but I don't feel strong and called the Samaritans in the early hours of this morning. My MH situation scares me.
I took the day off work today and slept until this afternoon and now I am worried that I won't sleep tonight.
But - I did have dinner for the first time in 3 weeks. Just a ready meal but I wanted to eat and that's a start.

Hello , can I join? I'm setting my alarm tomorrow to go for a short run. Exercise seems to be the only thing that really helps.My anxiety is bad at the moment and I feel like I'm on edge all the time. I am so shouty at the dcs at the moment and it is not fair on them at all , they're only small. I feel like such a crap parent when I'm like this.

That is a start Ginbunny

Hi there, good idea for a thread. I am on Setraline, really complex family circumstances so struggle a bit to keep my head above water.
I walked 20 minutes today and took DC swimming, which made me feel better.

I wanted to say that 5HTP produces tryptophan or something which increases serotonin. Thus it works like SSRIs I think but is a natural product. However, I think it is counter-indicated if you are on SSRIs due to the risk of too much serotonin (serotonin syndrome). So, I would not use together

Hi. I'd love to join too. I've recently come off sertraline and I'm worried that I'll need to go back on them again if I don't do some additional self help things to support myself. I get overwhelmed by things, I have a demanding job and I'm about to move house , so I need to get myself organised and not let things get on top of me. Like someone else said, I tend to be like an ostrich and ignore things until it gets too much and then I'm stressed out and unable to cope.
My list - walk every day, eat healthily, meditate and affirmations, make lists and tackle things head on.
I also go to bed too late and often don't sleep well, so I'm trying alllsorts of things to improve this.

Ginbunny, I understand where you're coming from, I split from my partner a few months ago. Just take one day at a time, do something nice for yourself every day, see friends, go for walks. You'll feel better if you can get some sleep too. I relied heavily on nytol to get me through those first few weeks.

Hi Gin, pinocchios, Cocoa, and dewdrop - welcome to the thread. I'm just on my lunch break, so I'll post again later.

8 hours sleep last night.

YESTERDAY = ate too late so didn't sleep well
ate sugar (but it was stuff I already had in and needed eating up and I shan't buy any more)
didn't do any uni work
went too bed too late and got up late

TODAY = ate massive breakfast so want to eat less and less as the day goes on

WANT TO:- at least do a bit of uni stuff
drink more
less sugar
go to bed at 9pm.

Hi Dew, sorry to hear you've been through this too. It's really tough. Am trying to control a panic attack right now.

Oh Gin, that doesn't sound like much fun - I hope you're okay now. Have you seen your GP?

It sounds like everyone is doing much better than me on the exercise front. DH is away all this week, so I won't have a lot of opportunity either.

Hi I'd like to join in too. I'm struggling with anxiety at the moment in response to my DHs recent MH crisis and ongoing recovery. Trying to be proactive so started flouxitine 2 weeks ago and started seeing CPN regularly again. Booked councelling but not available for a few weeks, Anxiety attacks and fighting urges to self harm worse than I've ever experienced.

Today: went for bike ride with DH
Did headspace meditation

But: fell out with DH over something silly (his anxiety and low mood also contributed to this)

Now: going to cook tea and then curl up with DH to watch a film.

So far doing great on headspace app, and screen time, but sleeping still not great due to DC. Took on everyone's enthusiasm for exercise and did some yoga today.

Hope you're doing better now gin. And hello more new people. Well done to our small victories. They all count.

Hi Anxious - I hope you find the thread helpful. It's definitely giving me a little extra motivation.

Good things today:

8 hours sleep last night
Got through work (I'd love to write something more positive than that; I usually could)
Ate well
About to meditate (honest )
In bed early-ish

I need to think about iPhone time and limit it somehow. I won't miss anything, I just won't be distracted by it all the time.

Hi, well done all for your positive steps.
Today I bought lunch, was going to eat it but it was horrible so I threw it away. I've bought soup for dinner but don't fancy eating it yet. But it's there when I am ready.
Met an old friend for coffee.

I went to a work event with a load of people I didn't know. That's a really big deal for me. My boss wanted me to go because they're a new team and I managed to speak to a couple of people. They are all academics and scarily clever but I managed a bit of small talk and even cracked a joke
Negatives:
Have opened a bottle of wine. It's a bad crutch and I know contributing to my panic attacks and GA but I will tackle it in time. I have to.
Had a panic attack, which I posted about earlier. It passed. Have to keep reminding myself that they do.

I think I definitely need to exercise more, eat more fruit and take good care of myself.

Today I had a shower, I'm about to dry my hair and put make up on.
Took my son to school and I made them breakfast and cleared up.
Going to pop to town later to pick up my prescription if it's ready.

I'm also trying to stop smoking my e cigarette. I know I will feel worse for the first couple of days but it will improve my mental health to not be addicted to nicotine.

I hope everyone has a good day

Todays been a tough one. Went swimming then this evening DH took me out for a (soft) drink and game of pool. Just watched The Full Monty and lol feeling a lot better for it.

Ginbunny well done on going to the event, that would be a big one for me too!

Yesterday I made breakfast,, lunch and tea,, bathed the children, went to the shops then went on a walk to see the ducks with my daughter.

But I took some diazepam in the morning and drank a bottle of wine last night. Whoops. No more drinking for the rest of the week.

10 mins meditation a day Is my goal. Would love to work on sleep, but DD is up during night, so have to get it when I can. I need to work on acceptance of this. Any tips? Xx

Some thoughts from someone who's been on Sertraline for 15 years and has recently given it up:

1. Sertraline appears to be increasingly the drug of choice. It does work well for many but takes time to take effect. It also takes several months to get out of your system before you know the 'state of play' underneath. It causes withdrawal symptoms such as dizziness and 'headshocks' and settling in to the drug after a period away from it can make initial side effects worse. None the less it is a great medication for some.

2. Sleep appears to be, by far and away the most important factor in 'feeling better' and more in control. Getting the right amount seems key. Too little obviously exacerbates symptoms, but too much can make you feel groggy and increase general anxiety.

3. When you feel down there seems to be a spiral factor that is critical to protect yourself from. Having a 'bad' day can lead you to feel fear, anxiety and other problems that you will need time to recover from on top of the initial bad day. This can lead to a spiral of symptoms that can take days, weeks or months to pull away from and back into a healthy state of mind. Panic attacks, hypochondria and exhaustion all make the brain feel like it's screaming along in first gear for hours, unable to slow up.

4. Despite how you feel today you 'will' feel different tomorrow. Even if you are certain today that you won't. Gradually things will change. Generally anxiety and depression will get worse quickly and better slowly. This is a ballache but be reassured at low moments that you will feel different soon.
   You won't go crazy. Your mind is robust and despite some bizarre symptoms, thoughts and mental states, you will 'revert to the mean' - a state of being comfortable.

5. Anxiety and depression are largely all talk and no trousers. It will have ways to get to you as you find coping mechanisms for past symptoms. New ways of it bothering you will appear but ultimately it is weak, and reminding yourself that it cannot hurt you in any meaningful sense will go some way to protecting you against new symptoms.

6. You are not alone. Even many of those around you who appear so strong and in control have times they are struggling. They have doubt and panic and loss of control of who are they are and how to feel well. Be kind to yourself and find comfort in those things that make you feel OK. When you look back on how you feel now in 20 years time will you wish you had dealt with it differently. It's easier said than done.

Everyone is different but these are my thoughts. It's a great thread to read.

Oops, I didn't post yesterday.

Yesterday's good things:
Ate well
Meditated
Managing while DH is away

But...I only got 7 hours sleep, and I've been yawning all afternoon. I think I have a bit of a sleep deficit to catch up on, and I also need quite a lot of sleep generally.

Coldbay, enough sleep is definitely good for my MH.

Saloire, do you go to bed reasonably early? I tend to get distracted by FB, MN, WA etc., then to stay up later than I planned. It's really hard when DC don't sleep well - how old are your DC?

Sorry Saloire, your DD .

Great thread btw. My DD is 5, has just started school. Her sleep is erratic at the min, and she wants mummy to lie with her whenever she wakes up. Think she's just getting used to the transition from nursery to school. I'm also nearly 12 weeks pregnant, so very tired all the time anyway. Have been using daytimes when she's at school and I'm not working to catch up on sleep. Sometimes I pass out in the evenings as well. Bottom line, I can't rely on A good sleep routine at the moment, so my goal is to work on excepting this until it passes, then tackling my insomnia later. It might be quite a lot later since there's another one on the way LOL. But the 10 minutes meditation per day is a good start I think. It's great to feel like you're not alone and help and support one another, such a good idea X

Hi all, I'm keeping up with my headspace app, which is great.

Screen time before bed was doing well until last night, when I was in a horrible mood and got into bed early in a grump, but then faffed on the Internet for ages. I guess it's like a kind of ignoring the real world thing? I will try again tonight. Might try and squeeze in some yoga or exercise today if I can (by writing it here, I'll have to do it)