Britts Fight for Life (A mental health battle)

The worst part of having a mental illness is one day you feel okay and the next you wake up feeling like you just want to end it all. In my world this statement is all too real except for me it's a daily struggle because one minute I feel like I am doing okay and the next minute I'm angry, sad or any other negative emotion the human body can feel. My brain goes from you're okay today to telling me I should just end it right here right now. I wake up in the morning wondering if I am going to even make it through the day if I am going to be strong enough to handle the emotions that are going to come up throughout the day or if today will be the day I decide I just can't handle it anymore and make the decision that I can't live anymore.  This blog's conception was always meant to be positive thoughts, encouragement and if nothing else to give other's Hope that it will be okay and that you are strong enough to keep fighting and keep living this life, but in t...

When you're having a hard day, week, month or year how do you keep yourself going? How do you keep up the fight and choose to keep living through the struggle? In my world, I have to set goals for myself. Adventures I want to go on, crazy activities I need to do and places I need to see are what help me get through all the bad days.  Yesterday I did something crazy, something that was on the very top of my bucket list and something I have wanted to do since I was a young girl. Yesterday I went skydiving for the first time in my life. I have wanted to jump out of an airplane since I was little. I have always been a thrill seeker. I love roller coasters, I love adventure and I especially love the thrill of doing something completely insane! For me, skydiving wasn't just something on my bucket list that I couldn't wait to cross off, it was something me and my dad always said we were going to do together because I 100 percent got my thrill-seeking from him, but as you know...

One of the hardest parts of dealing with a mental illness is when you are having a bad day and you can't get yourself back to a good place. When you're in the darkest part of your mind the best thing you can do for yourself is to find ways to get yourself back into a good place. I never really knew much about coping skills and how much they actually worked until I was in Pine Rest last year. While in treatment I learned all different ways of coping with the bad days. Here are some coping skills I use to get me through the toughest days. I use breathing techniques when I am anxious and need to calm myself down. The way I do this is by breathing in through my nose and out of my mouth with my eyes closed until I feel my heart rate start to lower. Music is a huge coping technique for me too. I listen to songs that have had an impact on me like Warrior by Demi Lovato, In my blood by Shawn Mendes, Sober by Demi Lovato and really anything by Linkin Park. Another coping skill I pi...

A support system is important for anyone who struggles with a mental illness and especially those who struggle with suicidal thoughts. In order for us to live not only do we need to support ourselves in getting help, but we also need an amazing support system of family and friends to help us. Without a support system, we are doing all of this on our own and if we have attempted suicide before then without the love and support from other's it will most likely happen again. One thing that I would like to point out is that we do not only need a support system when we are in the hospital getting help or the weeks after we get home from the hospital, but we need daily support always. The thing I have realized from going into the hospital with attempted suicide is that everyone rallies around you when they find out your in a mental hospital and for the weeks following you coming home, but then a month later or two months later the support isn't as great as when you were admitted or ...

It's so hard trying to explain to people what goes through our minds every day. It's hard for them to understand when they do not have to deal with a mental illness every day. Relationships are never easy if they were no one would get hurt or have their hearts broken. Relationships are hard, but that's what makes them so worth it in the end. Loving someone who struggles with a mental illness takes the hardships of a normal relationship and times it by 10. As a person who struggles with mental illness I know how hard it is to love someone when I can barely love myself, but in reality, I have learned that I need it. I need my husband because if I did not have his love and support I would probably be dead. I decided to write this blog because I think it's something our loved ones need to read, hear and feel. They need to know what the signs are, what our depression looks like, what to do if we need help but don't have the strength to tell them. So this one is for all ...