Approaching the Darkness

Robert and Brian continue their conversation about mental illness and the best ways to approach it every day. Their topics include music, exercise, and other outlets as well as best practices for caregivers.

Six Key Takeaways:

• The goals for mental health support groups should be unity through advocacy and reducing the stigma.
• The best part of my day is going to the gym. I get inspired when I see changes in my physical condition and emotional health. Going to the gym is the best thing I ever did (Robert).
• Embrace life and don’t be afraid to take it in small manageable chunks. You can only live one day at a time, one hour at a time, and one minute at a time. Don’t get ahead of yourself and start worrying about the future (or the past).
• I used to love reading books, but it got really hard when the voices took over. I decided to start reading children’s books. They helped me with my focus and the books would silence the voices for a few minutes.
• The assumption is that if you have a mental illness, you must be crazy, but most of us are stable. I’ve also heard that mentally ill people are more likely to do harm. I wish people would take time to better understand what we are going through; maybe then they wouldn’t be so afraid of people with mental illness. 
• A misconception about PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is that only soldiers have it. Anyone who has dealt with tragedy or something life-altering can suffer from PTSD.