Change Your Mindset

The title of this post applies to a lot of things in life, but it is an important reminder to anyone who suffers from mental illness. Your mindset can make or break your treatment and turning it around is an important part of getting better. At first in my treatment cycle, I kept thinking about how I was going to be like this forever, and this really held me back.

Seriously, when I was at my worst, I thought I was a goner. I had it in my head that my brain was broken and that there was no fix. I was in and out of hospitals over the course of a few weeks, checked myself into the local ward, and went to countless doctors and therapists. To be fair to myself, none of it was working and setbacks became a part of my normal life.

This was all until I figured out what was actually going on in my brain. It wasn’t damaged; it was just different and being different meant treatment had to be personalized for me and my head. This realization allowed me to find a doctor and a therapist with expertise in OCD. That point in time was my eureka moment. A light shone at the end of the long tunnel to getting better.

One day at a time, these moments kept coming. My mind cleared and instead of dread, happiness started showing itself. I thought that yes, getting better is actually attainable and I can see it! Slowly, this mindset of living with OCD forever faded and allowed me to push past my symptoms and start living a normal life.

None of this is easy, though. Pushing yourself, sometimes to the limit of what you think you are capable of, is required. Going to uncomfortable places and searching out doctors and therapists with expertise in your condition is necessary. Trial and error is the name of the game here and finding what works may take time.

To get better, mindset is but one piece of the puzzle. An attitude of being destined to live with your mental illness forever will do nothing but delay your progress and hold you up from getting better. Try to think positive thoughts. Talk to your support team and work with proper therapists and doctors to fine tune your treatment to your specific situation. Things will click, and you will start feeling like you are being set free from your illness.