Anxiety and Depression

As someone who has struggled with Anxiety, PTSD, Depression, you name it, and has overcome these struggles and am on the path to healing as we speak, I have some insight into this subject. It helps my knowledge that my mother is a therapist and I've had that source of information my whole life.

On YouTube I saw a video of a public speaker at an event. The video was titled, "Is Mental Health Genetic, Habit, or Personality?" Now the speaker in the video may have addressed some of the points I'm about to make as far as I know. But the title struck me because, while all 3 of those things play a part, the title was missing the best answer to the question: Circumstances.

Jim Carrey once said, "Depression is your mind telling you it's tired of being the character you're trying to play". Anxiety and Depression happens when you are tolerating circumstances and people you shouldn't have to tolerate. The solution to Anxiety and Depression is to change your circumstances.

Sometimes there's a time to stand up for yourself to your circumstances first, and see if it'll change. If it doesn't change, then walk away from your circumstances. Sometimes there's a time where it is not realistic to stand up for your circumstances. Then just walk away from your circumstances first, and stand up to them later.

If you cannot change your circumstances at this moment in time, find what part of your circumstances you can change. Then breathe and self care, and treat yourself with kindness and love until the times comes when you can change your circumstances. 

Sometimes Anxiety and Depression comes from untreated PTSD and/or trauma. Get yourself checked for these things because if you have PTSD, just treating the Anxiety and/or Depression won't work. Treating the PTSD and Trauma will, in turn, treat your Anxiety and/or Depression. Trauma doesn't just come from war or rape. I highly recommend checking yourself for this no matter how peachy your past might seem. I, for example, have never been to war, have never been raped, and I had two parents who loved me and provided for me and we never struggled with poverty. But my PTSD was ranked at the level of Iraqi war veterans by both my therapists because it came from my experience of life having Autism. So you never really know unless you check.

Never be afraid to use medication for as long as it's given and used responsibly. Even if it's temporary, the medication will increase your functioning and ability to accept treatment. In the case of delusion type disorders, this may be the actual solution.

Remember that you have a right to live the life you want to live, and you don't have to live the life that other people expect from you. Those people aren't living your life: you are. So make the choices that makes your life free of anxiety and depression and that make you happy instead.