Hello.
I’m Oliver and this is my mental health selfie for the charity Mind.
I’m diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder, chronic posttraumatic
stress disorder, psychotic tendencies, depression and anxiety.
I also have Tourette’s, hence the ticks.
I’m doing this mental health selfie to basically talk about how I cope with my mental health
and hopefully, give some other people some ideas or some coping strategies.
First thing I tend to do is distraction.
I tend to either put the TV on, watch a film, read a book if I’ve got enough concentration,
do some model ships, do some colouring, listen to some music.
Just basically anything.
It depends on the level of concentration I’ve got and how much energy I’ve got, as to
what I do.
If I’ve got loads of energy and loads of concentration, I might do some of my model
ships because that’s quite fiddly.
If I’ve not got much concentration, I might just stick the TV on or stick a film on that
I really like and just chill out and watch that.
I like doing exercise.
So, I go hiking and camping when I can, especially hiking.
I go to the gym when I can.
I’ve also got a park, next to me.
So, I go for walks around there.
So, yes, just trying to get out.
Even if it’s just get out for half an hour in the day, just for a bit of fresh air on
my face.
Even if I have to push myself to get out, I try and get out.
Try and get out at least every day.
Sometimes it doesn’t happen but I try to get out, even if it’s just for 20 minutes,
half an hour walk round the park.
It’s just something.
Try and do things I enjoy.
So, things like hiking or camping, when I can get out to the Peak District to do that.
Things like playing my French horn, listening to music, geeking out about the Tudor period
of history.
Things like that.
I try and allow myself the time to feel that way.
So, if I need a day where I don’t do anything, where I just lay on the sofa with my blanket
and watch TV, I try and allow myself that time and try and not feel guilty about it.
Someone said to me the other week, be kind.
Allow yourself to do the thing that’s kindest for you in that moment.
So, if the thing kindest for you is to just lie on the sofa with a blanket and just watch
TV, do that.
But if you think it’s kinder for you to try and push yourself to get yourself out
of the flat, or out of your home and try and go for a walk or try and go to the shop or
go to whatever you’re supposed to go to, try and do that.
But just try and do what’s kindest for you and try not to feel guilty about it.
Because after you feel guilty about it, you just spend a day lying on the sofa after you
feel guilty about it so, yes.
I also have things like numbers in my phone.
So, text numbers for the Samaritans, email address for the Samaritans, a local overnight
charity place you can go to and there’s their phone number.
A local number so I can ring, so I can text.
I don’t normally ring people.
I hate ringing people on the phone.
So, I tend to either text the Samaritans or email Samaritans or text my friends or my
boyfriend and stuff and that kind of thing.
Also, making sure I keep on top of appointments with professionals.
So, I’ve got a psychiatrist, seeing my GP fairly regularly, therapists and the care
coordinator.
Also,
take medication.
So, try and keep on top of taking my medication because often, I’ll stop taking medication
because of the voices saying it’s poisoned and stuff and I get really paranoid thoughts
and the voices get bad and I’ll stop taking it and that just makes it worse.
So, it’s kind of a…
Sorry.
So, it’s kind of a vicious cycle, then, to not take medication.
Then you get worse.
It’s a vicious cycle.
But yes, they’re the things I try and do.
Try and keep myself distracted, as best as possible from all my thoughts and stuff, and
all the stuff that’s going on in my mind and stuff and just try and keep myself distracted
as best I can.
Things that I try and do to try and keep myself going.
I hope that it gives you some ideas of things you can do or just help you in any little
way.
Cool.