#TalkingHelps Your Recovery

Feeling ‘fine’

I think whenever anybody asks you, “how are you?” our initial reaction is “I’m fine, thanks” – this is me almost every time. Due to this reaction, I believe we sometimes trick our brain into thinking we actually are ok, but the reality is sometimes very different.

For me personally, I recognised that I was not feeling ‘fine’ in April 2017. During this time, I had just turned eighteen, passed my driving test and my everyday life was organised and honestly, even I couldn’t fault it. The issue was, I just was not happy. Something was wrong. There were some days that I would just feel so down that I would start crying for what I thought was no reason – in fact I was sitting in my A-Level History lesson when this occurred (slightly awkward). After I had felt like this for quite some time, I knew I needed to seek help and discover why I was feeling like this. 

Getting help

The first port of call, for me, was to speak to my Mum, I tried so hard to explain that nothing was wrong, but at the same time everything was wrong – she was just as confused as I was. I think speaking to family and friends does help to some extent, but there does reach a point where seeking professional help may be the best thing for some people – it was for me.

So, I decided to take myself to the doctors in order to see if they could offer any suggestion as to why I was feeling so sad. I remember walking to the doctors and crying the entire way there, even when I was in the waiting room I couldn’t pull myself together.

This continued when I walked into their office, tears rolling down my face, desperately trying to explain what was wrong.

The response I received from my doctor was very much needed, she reassured me that it is extremely normal for people to feel sad even when they necessarily don’t have a reason to be. She then offered me some websites, YoungMinds being one of them, that she believed would set me off on the right track – I began to feel like things could get better.

Recovery

When I returned home, I began to look at the websites the doctor had given me – there are so many great ones. A website called, Mood Gym, was particularly helpful as this identified my thought processes and offered a new, positive way of thinking. I tracked my progress every day, replacing warped thoughts with new ones and that’s where I’m at now. I feel so much better, but it is a process. There are some days when old thoughts creep back into my mind, but the techniques that I learnt come into play and I’ve never felt so strong. 

Reach out 

My final message to you, is that if you’re feeling down and you’re not too sure why, go and speak to someone. If you would feel more comfortable talking to someone you know, that is a great start, but do not feel intimidated to go and seek professional help – it was honestly the best thing I have ever done. 

This blog was first posted on Young Minds. To read more of their blogs visit https://youngminds.org.uk/blog