When your eating disorder robs you of energy.

I hate being tired. I hate that I bailed on a friend today because I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Does my body really look small enough for me to get this exhaustion? 

I find myself making excuses for my tiredness a lot, when my eating must have a part in it. I’m not sure why I still excuse myself even with people that know about my disorder; perhaps I’m trying to convince myself I’m fine… 

Sometimes I don’t even trust that I’m truly exhausted- like I will wonder if I’m just lazy, or if the people around me just have a lot more energy than average. These days, I doubt everything. 

Sh*t People Say to People with Mental Illness (Reblog)

Originally posted on wehaveapples:“We all get the blues!”? You: Um, so… I can’t function on a daily basis. I’m on the floor right now, unable to move. I’ve been sobbing for so long that I can’t breathe. This is my everyday. This is NOT “the blues.”? “Just be strong and put on a smile.”?…

https://dearestsomeone.wordpress.com/2015/08/20/sht-people-say-to-people-with-mental-illness/

U is for Understanding

One of the most difficult aspects of mental illness is feeling misunderstood. Everybody has a set of feelings and symptoms unique to them, making it all too easy to feel alone with your struggles. 

Personally, I hate articulating my thoughts or emotions aloud because I suck at it. I can write or type them okay, but ask me to open my mouth to another human being and you’re in trouble! The difficulty I have with speaking about things is one I imagine other people experience as well (and if you’re reading, hey there!), yet there’s another much larger problem: so many people have no clue about mental health problems anyway (a few do, this is a general point I’m making…)

How do we make people understand something they can’t see?! For me linking them to a Kati Morton video appropriate to the topic is a good one, as well as writing a letter or comparing it to something physical they have experienced themselves. To be honest though, there are some people who just won’t get it. Something I’m learning slowly is the acceptance of other people’s lack of understanding. It sucks. It’s unfair, but so is everything else in life! 

Today I am grateful that I’m doing something I love at college everyday. If you’ve had a rough day, what are you grateful for?

6 misunderstandings about mental illness

1. You are not alone in feeling misunderstood; most people don’t understand mental health because they’ve never experienced it.

2. “You don’t look sad/sick/anxious” etc. NOBODY exhibits external signs of their illness all the time. You can be suffering and be hiding it.

3. Everyone who has a mental illness is weak. I would argue that living with a mh condition requires a strength everyday that other people may never need in their lives.

4. You won’t ever recover. Put simply, people do turn their lives around and everyone is entitled to live healthily.

5. “You just need to take it easy”
Um… What? People say this to me a lot and it is SO ANNOYING. That implies that mental illness develops just because of stress, and that is so wrong. Your genes, upbringing and personality all play a part. A good nap is really not going to fix everything.

6. Time being ill is lost time.
I always hated the thought that I was wasting my life, but illness has taught me so much about myself, others and life in general. Hopefully in years to come I, and you, will look back on the months/years of sickness and be grateful for what we’ve gained.