- Admit you have an illness. Then find a psychiatrist or psychologist who treats you with compassion and respect. I couldn’t progress my efforts in therapy if I didn’t have an awesome therapist to change my perspective in life.
- Once you find a treatment plan that works for you, stick to it. Everyone is different and what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for the next person. Do whatever you need to do to make this journey a bit easier.
- That gut feeling. You know what I’m talking about… trust it.
- Practice self-care. I personally find this one the hardest, having OCD diminishes any self-awareness and I find it extremely difficult to put myself, front & centre. As they say, practice makes perfect… you’ll nail this one and it’ll become a habit one day.
- Find a purpose. No I don’t mean a revolutionary outburst, just something that’ll give you some directional purpose, however big or small that may be.
- Accept love into your life. This is self-explanatory. Any kind of love. Love is good.
- Accept yourself for the beautiful and unique person that you are. There is only one of you in this entire universe. Remember that.
- Connect with people who are going through the same experiences. I found this to be integral in my journey to understanding myself and my mental illness.
- Learn to advocate for yourself. I have taken this a step further and started an entire clothing line with one of my friends on conversational clothing on mental health (MIM APPAREL)
- Last and most importantly, NEVER GIVE UP ON YOURSELF. You are your own cheerleader and always will be.
