Mental
ill health is a terrible thing and we all know that Christmas and the New Year
is a time that often places an added burden onto an already stretched mind.
I
would like to share some thoughts with you that are equally relevant at any
time of the year, but may for be really useful now. If you have a Counsellor then it might be worth
mentioning what you have read, as the professional may place some of the
statements into the context that is relevant to your circumstances:
It’s
rarely the case that anything is so bad that it can’t be put right,
What
we often think of as important, more often than not turns out to be irrelevant,
We
often place emphasis on the things that don’t matter, and in doing so neglect
that which does matter,
Although
you may not agree at this moment in time, from most bad things come good things,
As one
door closes, many doors open as we embrace new chances and opportunities,
Those
that love you wouldn’t want you to harm yourself, as any harm will also hurt
them,
We can’t
control the past, we can only learn from it, so don’t dwell too much on what
has happened,
We can’t
control the future, we can only plan for it, and as most plans need changing, this
spoils the planning idea,
If we
can’t control the past or the future, and planning has its own hiccups, then maybe
it’s time to think more about living for today,
Bullies
are often insignificant people, who like to think of themselves as being
important,
If you
are being bullied, then think of your boss as someone with his or her pants
down having a crap,
And
when you realise that this is a waste of good thought process, bang in a written
complaint about them instead and let them do the stressing and not you,
Putting
things down onto paper often expunges the thought process and enables us to get
on with life,
There
are various coping strategies, and do not know which ones are suitable for your
circumstances. An eclectic range of hobbies and activities and interests and
tasks seem to work well for me. Yes, this
is about deflection and keeping latent problems under the surface. But hey ho, if it works then let’s engage in the
things that help us to better cope with the problems. Remember that mental ill health affects lots
of people and probably impacts on every family in some way. The medical professionals, like your GP, can
help and guide you towards support systems.
Your Trade Union can give you advice and guidance if you are being
bullied. Many help groups can be found
online and in the telephone directory.
So don’t bottle it all up, and instead seek the help and support that
you might need and which is readily available free of charge. Just because someone is not wearing a plaster
cast, doesn’t mean that they are not ill.
Take strength in the knowledge that others have or are experiencing similar
problems and that with help and support and sensible adaptations they are
making it through each day, and you can as well.
Merry
Christmas and a prosperous 2013
