This blog was very much a coping mechanism for me and, whilst trying to help others on here and on our twitter, I felt like I was helping myself. But I don't need that anymore. I wish I could tell you all why, but I really don't know. I don't remember the last time I hurt myself. I don't remember the last time I felt really depressed. I don't remember and don't know what finally clicked inside of me, but it did.
I wish I knew all of the answers and I wish I knew what to tell you guys that would help you, but I didn't realise that I was actually recovering until I felt 'fully recovered'. Regardless, I will try to give at least some guidance.
Get off twitter.
Lets think about this. In the real world, surrounding yourself with negative people, negative thoughts and negative influences will have a negative impact on you, right? So why is it any different online?
Following accounts that post negative thoughts is not going to help. Tweeting your negative thoughts for other people to see is not going to help. Yes I know that, in that moment, people will see what you're saying and can offer you help and guidance. Yes I know that, in that moment, you can do the same for others. But it's always a temporary fix.
I know it's nice to feel like you can relate to how someone is feeling, but it does more bad than good, trust me. I spent so much time on our twitter, scrolling through our timeline and replying to people saying that they want to hurt themselves, or even kill themselves and, as someone who was unstable at the time, that was not good for me. We are already crowded with our own thoughts of self hatred, and reading tweet after tweet after tweet about how worthless other people feel and how much other people hate themselves just adds fuel to the fire.
My point is, if you were a recovering drug addict, would you surround yourself with people that take drugs? No. If you're taking your recovery seriously you need to step away and create some mind space.
So, my advice to you is, either unfollow all of the 'depression accounts' and follow people that tweet messages of positivity and inspiration or get off twitter. It's the same with tumblr and any other social networking site too.
Please take this step seriously. You probably don't know now how much of an impact it has on you, but you will.
Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone.
This can be really hard for some. In fact, it's really hard for all of us, but it'll all be worth it in the end. It can be as simple as overcoming a fear of heights or joining a club.
Honestly, I think this is the step that really kickstarted my recovery. I took part in something called NCS (National Citizen Service) last year, and it has really changed my life. I won't write much about it in this post, as it will be too long, but I'll do a separate post about it in the future. Louise is also taking part in it this year, after seeing how much it has benefited me, and it's also helped her a lot too! It will be worth taking part in NCS if it's available to you (for 15-17 year olds in the England and parts of Northern Ireland only, sorry!) or looking for something similar! Even just volunteering somewhere like a soup kitchen or some sort of charity will be awesome!
This one is simple but effective! This is a good encouragement for people with suicidal thoughts, or at least it was for me in my case. Write down your "recovery bucket list" - i.e. things that make you happy, what makes recovery worth it etc.
Here's a few of mine -
- to be happy
- to be confident
- to be successful
- to have a family
- to meet Will Smith
- to meet Tinie Tempah (which I have, woo! :D)
- to be an actress
They might change over time, but they remind me that I have something to look forward to and something to move towards!
There are more recovery tips on our advice and our alternatives to self harm pages. Feel free to ask me anything or give us some of your tips in the comments, we are open to blog suggestions, constructive criticism and ideas!
- A
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