awittythreesome:

When I was 21 years old, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I had always believed that I had depression since I was very young, but I did not want to be the one to self-diagnose myself because of the stigma that comes with that. I had ended up having a breakdown and telling my mom that if I did not get help soon, I would probably end up harming myself. Thankfully, my mother took me seriously and took me to the hospital to get help for a few days. This really gave me time to reflect on my life, the things that make me happy, and the things that I needed to remove from it because they were hurting me.

Living with depression is a difficult thing. Depression is not an emotional state for me; it’s a perpetual state of being. No matter how I am feeling, I am always depressed. There are good days where I am upbeat and chipper, and there are bad days where I physically cannot get myself out of my bed.  It’s painful and restricting. I do not think many people understand the seriousness of living with this mental illness. Depression messes with your mind and makes you feel like you are worthless and a failure. I have had my share of bad days and knowing how to cope with the bad days is a constant struggle for me. I used to cope in unhealthy ways, but now I have some new healthier ways to cope when I am feeling really down.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional by any means. These are just some things that I do to help myself cope when I am feeling low.

1. Disconnect. Sometimes turning off your phone and disconnecting yourself from all social media is the best thing you can do. When I’m feeling low, knowing how much happier everyone else is and how much “better” their life is than mine can make me feel even lower. I know that I have a great life and I am so blessed, but depression and anxiety warps that reality and makes me feel like I am worthless and a failure. Disconnecting from social media keeps my mind off of things and allows me to immerse myself in hobbies that I enjoy a lot, like cooking, independent films and music, reading, and my new hobby, blogging. Airplane mode is my best friend during this time.

2. Phone a Friend. There are some people in my life that I know I can talk to when I am having a bad day. I have some amazing friends that know how to calm me down and really change my perspective on the situation without making me feel worse. They lift my spirits and remind me of how blessed I am without shaming me for feeling that way. They listen with the intent to listen because they want to listen and they do not make me feel like I am a burden. Knowing who these friends are is important because sometimes you just need to talk and get it out of your system. My mother always stresses the importance of talking about your feelings because bottling it up with only make things worse.

3. Make a Playlist. When I am feeling down, the one thing I can count on to cheer me up is music. I love music so much. I really wish that I was musically talented in some way so that I could share my love of music with the world, but I am not and I would hate to harm anyone with my attempt at singing or playing music. I especially love indie rock music. Making playlists of my favorite songs allows me to really focus on what songs mean to me. I like to choose a theme and build my playlist around that specific theme. Placing the songs in a specific order so that they flow into one another really creates an amazing aesthetic for listening to the playlist. Some of my favorite playlists were made when I was feeling down and it took me awhile to make them perfect.

4. Put on Your Favorite Jammies. I love pajamas. I used to hate them, but they have become a new love of mine. I like to put on my favorite jammies and crawl under the covers with a good book or movie. It really just makes you feel comfortable and that’s a good start to calming down and getting more at ease.

5. Finally, Cry. Crying it out is the best medicine. Don’t ever feel ashamed to cry over something that you are upset about. You should not have to hide your feelings. Crying can make you feel so much better because it is releasing the sadness from your body. I always feel better after I have had a good cry.

I really hope these tips can help someone learn to cope with depression or anxiety. Again, I am no medical professional, but I do live with this mental illness and know that it is a daily struggle. These tips have helped me over the past few years and I can say that I am having more good days than bad.

— Louis C.K. (via wethinkwedream)

(Source: randyhaddock, via whorchata)

— Tyler Knott Gregson - via emilylldobbs (via perfect)

(via esssplode)

inspirationcocoa:

- date a man who loves his mom
- date a man who has a beautiful smile
- date a man who knows how to use a hammer
- date a man who saves the earth
- date thor, i’m talking about thor

(via ruinedchildhood)