How are you making mental health progress?

Things that used to be easier are now really hard to do. That said, I had a short visit with my grandmother and managed to keep the conversation away from my shortcomings and then had the energy somehow to do other things afterwards.

 

I did homework tonight because I felt like doing it instead of out of a feeling of obligation or anxiety!! I just wanted to do it! AAA!!!

 

That's actually the sort of thing I'm only just now starting to kinda sorta poke at with my dad, so I for one am going "whoa, dude, that's huge." So! Kudos to you, and also an observation: relationships tend to have pretty significant impact on mental health, and so taking steps to make them be healthier still counts as working on your mental health. Good job! :)

 

Thanks! You have no idea how much you saying that means to me honestly. And "starting to poke at" stuff like that is the first step in breaking through so go you!

 

I've been doing a gratitude journal since the start of the year, and I've done 19 of 22 days so far. (Gratitude is supposed to help your mental health, right?)

 

It isn't a surefire help but it's definitely helpful for some things. I think the helpfulness in combating depression is more that it makes you stop and notice the good things in the first place.

It can be bad in cases where "you should be grateful" is used as a tool of abuse, though.

 

It's it used as a form of abuse for me, it's used as a form of "why aren't you happy? Look at all the wonderful things millions of other people don't have."

 

I had a few bad days (not awful, just near-zero productivity on homework) and I thought today was going to be another, but I actually managed to sit down and get some stuff done right at the end without too much struggle! I didnt get a ton done but I did open up a lot of things and started, and I have a lot more trouble starting than continuing, so I think I'll be able to get back in the rhythm and get a loot done this weekend :3
im actually excited to be productive and its so nice

 

I felt terrible most of today but I also managed to focus on homework I think more than three hours out of the day (before meds 3 hours was my absolute maximum concentration time per day outside of cram panic) so that's a success even though I felt bad! I also managed to pull myself out of feeling really terrible after I realized i was out of focus for the day.

 

i managed to pull myself out of an avoidance spiral! obvs i gotta take this day by day but i legit feel like ive got my hw back under control after feeling fairly out of control for a week or two

 

I had a shit evening of avoidance and anxiety spirals and feeling that like, crushing panic about homework and awful depression feels of never being good enough; however, i managed to finish (most all) my work by my normal bedtime! And the rest is stuff I can and will feel more comfortable doing in the morning and I actually feel relaxed again which is something that normally doesn't happen after a homework anxiety freakout like that so. man. being able to relax; it feels good

 

I'm home at my parents place for a month before moving out, and I just realized that I'm immediately managing the amount of artwork per day it took me a month to work up to last summer comfortably. And i'm like, legitimately 100% enjoying myself with it.

also, my anxiety about looking weird in public has faded a bit! it's more of a twinge than an icy claw of death now!

 

Welp, I've been getting dressed everyday when I get up instead of hanging around for hours in my jammies. This makes it slightly easier to leave the house after breakfast

 

I haven't been improving a whole lot, but I've been maintaining through things that would have sent me into pretty bad lows. Which is a step forward, especially since I got dropped by my therapist and don't have her to help keep me stable while shit does not cease happening.

 

My depression symptoms have significantly decreased thanks to (probably) a combination of antidepressants & transition. I've actually noticed that I often take a position that is a lot more optimistic than it used to be.

 

After a couple of months together, therapist and I have finally identified what my therapy goals are, which is basically to be less angry and hate everyone less.

 

I made an appointment to see the dentist and kept it.

I sent a message to someone after six months of avoiding them because I thought I did something really wrong and couldn't figure out how to address it without seeming coersive and shitty. I think i did ok?