Acceptance is a difficult issue for many reasons. Some experience what I like to call “Why me?” when it comes to us having terrible things happen in our lives, or if we receive a bad diagnosis for some medical issue. Others may simply shut down or find some other way to numb their feelings about it. The truth is that no person on the planet is exempt for having difficulties of any kind, but it’s ok to reach out. It’s ok to be angry, frustrated, sad, or whatever else you may be feeling about the situation. It’s even ok to ask
You might not like the answer though. It doesn’t have anything to do with you being a good person or not. The answer is why not you? When it comes to the point of trauma, health issues, or other personal problems, the bad things are not a respecter of persons. We are all 100 percent equal. You may even look at someone else who isn’t experiencing your particular issue and think they have it all. The truth is you don’t know what things they are going through because you are living your life, not theirs. There are ways to move forward from this.
Step 1. Recognize the thing going on in your life. It can help to give it a name, so I’ll use one of mine as an example. Some of the ways I deal with that are by talking about it, recognizing it and using tools like my cell phone to fight it off. It cheers me up a lot to play video games or watch an eleven minute video on Youtube that features a DeLorean. Another thing that I do is reach out to other people who struggle with it too. I talk with them on twitter, I write articles about mental health issues, and I built this site so that someone else might come across it and see that they are not alone.
Step 2. Realize that you are not at fault. You are not at fault if you were sexually abused, diagnosed with mental health issues, beaten, or emotionally abused. Let me say this again. It’s not your fault. It doesn’t have anything to do with the way you dressed or what you said. It’s nothing to do with the symptoms of your illness. Your isolating did not cause you to be depressed. Your depression caused you to isolate. Your baldness did not cause you to have cancer. Your cancer caused you to go bald. Your minute by minute emotional swings did not cause your mental heath issues. Your mental health issues caused your emotional swings.
Step 3. is to reach out. This is a particularly difficult step to take because of all the stigmas that are associated with every issue. Also, every person on the planet is guilty of perpetuating some of them even if that was not the intent. We have all made that mistake. There are support groups you can reach out to anonymously for help online. @mhcrisisangels is one of them. They are a group of people like myself who open up their direct messages to those in crisis. They are not professionals. They are a group of everyday people who just want to reach out and help. You can find them on Twitter. You can also Google or look in your local phone book for support groups or professionals in your area. If you live in the United States, there are organizations that offer free or low cost assistance. Friendship House is one of these in Pennsylvania. Some of their locations only treat children seventeen or under, but the one in Mayfield P.A. also treats adults.
Step 4. Find what works for you. As I mentioned before, I write about my issues online to help me. Due to that, I have learned from many other people that many of the things I experience with my issues are normal. It’s ok that I randomly cry for no reason. It’s ok that I get moody so long as I recognize it and don’t become abusive to other people. It’s ok if I isolate myself. Reaching out to other people helped me understand and accept my issues. However, that may not work for you. You can try researching, and see what others have to say about your issue. I promise you, you are not alone, and someone has probably written something about it even if it’s only a tweet. These four steps are not a guarantee, and they area lifelong process, but they can help you start your journey. I truly and wholeheartedly wish you good luck and God speed on your journey. If you wish to contact me personally, you can use the email on this site, or find me on Twitter @Samanddeanfan_1. Message me if you like.