cannondisabledcharacters:

Today’s disabled character of the day is Elim Garak from the Star Trek series, who has claustrophobia 

recordstore:

i don’t understand how anything works i just walk through life terrified

iesika:

cryptideridan:

kyleehenke:

how did my ancestors survive the brutal unforgiving wilderness when I get anxiety sweats from going to Target

to be fair im sure your ancestors would have the exact same reaction going to a Target

In the brutal unforgiving wilderness false positives cost nothing and false negatives are expensive. You’re better off being afraid of something that can’t hurt you than not afraid of something that can hurt you.

In a world where we mostly aren’t in danger, day to day, as long as we don’t play in traffic or jump off something, that’s no longer quite as adaptive.

We got our anxiety from a long, unbroken line of ancestors who were scared enough to survive, and pass on those genes! 

It helps me sometimes to think about that at night, when I can’t sleep because my heart is pounding over something like “what if my usually reliable alarm clock doesn’t work in the morning for some reason and I’m late for work and lose my job and everyone hates me.” There’s nothing wrong with me, I just have a lot of extra, unused run-from-tigers juice that my grandparents left me.

drhanniballectermd:

For anyone speaking to someone who has depression, anxiety or PTSD

They not they are not alone in experiencing those emotions, don’t automatically assume they think ‘woe is me’. They know many other people experience it, and deal with similar problems or have it worse than them. Just because you point this out to them, it is not automatically going to change their perspective and make them ‘happy’ or cure their problem/mental illness.

Some days these feelings come out of the blue, and bad days it is all too easy to fall into a thought process that is counter productive. If someone has low self-esteem or little regard for themselves, don’t simply point it out to them and tell them to stop feeling that way. Don’t guilt them because of those emotions because it makes them feel so much worse.

Don’t presume they don’t care about others, and their actions with others. Most people who have depression, anxiety or PTSD care deeply about how they affect others and will retreat at times because of the emotions they feel. They will withdraw from people or say things to make that person go away because they think that person will be better off without them. 

There is already enough stigma about mental illness from the past, don’t keep adding to it.

If someone you know is suffering, try and actually be there for them. To help them through the feelings if you can, if you don’t want to talk about certain things let them know, as you will find they value you more and will avoid talking about those things that trigger you.

Most importantly, try to change their way of thinking. If they are really upset, use a distraction by talking about something you both enjoy!

Don’t automatically criticise their actions, if you see them as being upset, ask them what upset them. You may find understanding then as to why they could be upset over something.

During an episode, sometimes things are said that they don’t mean. It is the illness talking, and if they do apologise for their actions you will find mostly that they truly mean it. Don’t hold them accountable and give them an opportunity to make up for those actions. If you can’t, at least be an adult, explain why you may not wish to speak to them again or tell them what they did that upset you as they can take this to heart and it can be a good opportunity for them to change their actions and even seek help because they can see how it is actually affecting their life!

musesandlovelydays:

• You can feel really confident in yourself but when someone comments badly on you, you begin to crumble.
• You doubt yourself a lot.
• Your head begins to hurt when you over think.
• You forget to eat sometimes.
• You get quiet around friends.
• You break down more often
• isolation.
• You’re confused 
• You don’t know why your confused because you’re over thinking all the bad decisions you’ve made in your in your life.
• You forget your value, You forget your worth.

writernotwaiting:

phoeberella:

Last summer I went to see my doctor about a leg injury. She asked me how I was doing in other parts of my life and I broke down crying, confessing I was suffering from a serious bout of depression and anxiety due to losing my job, losing my grandfather, and general stress in life. She let me cry for a minute then said:

“How far into the future can you see?”

“What?” I said.

“How far into the future are you certain of what is going to happen to you?”

“Umm… I don’t know? A few months maybe?”

“Really? That far?”

“Maybe? I don’t know. A few weeks I guess.”

“Ask me how far into the future I can see.”

“Okay… how far?”

“One breath.”

“One breath?”

“That’s it, one breath. I am only certain for as long as it takes me to breathe in and out once. After that, it’s a mystery. You can make plans for the future, but the truth is that leaving here you could be hit and killed by a bus, or tomorrow you could meet the person you’re going to spend the rest of your life with. Nothing is certain. When you’re overwhelmed by anxiety just take one long breath in and out, and do it again. Don’t worry about what’s coming next. Just one breath. Do it now.”

I took one long breath in and out, suprisingly calmer.

“Sometimes doctors have worthwhile advice,” she laughed. I smiled. And I took another breath.

I play this conversation over and over in my head whenever my anxiety takes a hold of me. It helps.

One breath.

I want to tag everyone so they can see this.