DISABILITY AND YOUR MENTAL HEALTH: PACE YOURSELF!
Patrick playing in the field
What do you do when you get overwhelmed by life? When you feel you have no purpose and that there is no meaning to anything?
Depression is such a heavy emotion and its cause is often not explored enough. Taking it to the extreme is the act of suicide—when the hopelessness builds to a point of excruciating, numbing pain. There is no light and no hope. Oftentimes, the spiritual aspect of depression is ignored, and doctors prescribe anti-depressants, which have potentially deadly side effects.
It is almost unbearable to think that the world is so cold and heartless, yet the effects of depression often lead to relationships that are unmanageable and filled with anxiety. Many people become depressed and have learned to cope in different ways. If you find yourself sad and not interested in life, then please don’t deny this. It is a red flag that there is something wrong. Do your research, be it online or by keeping a diary of your emotions. Yet don’t just succumb to the despair. You are too valuable a person, even if you don’t think that way at the moment.
In my life, in dealing with the daily effects of Patrick’s autism, depression has had a way of coming and going. Lately, it has been difficult to manage, and I have found great comfort in pet therapy. My son’s dog has been able to lift my spirits when I have felt drained to the very core. It is so amazing how pets help humans. There are therapy dogs and cats. There is also hippotherapy, centered on horseback riding as a physical therapy. Animals don’t judge, as humans do. They are unconditional and just wait for you to pet them. It is quite the therapy, believe me!
Mental health is part of one’s own responsibility, in taking care of oneself. It is not meant to be a burden or a drag. How can I raise my son with autism to have healthy self-esteem? How can I help him to master the self-help skills he needs without him feeling sad because he is unable to verbalize how he is feeling? This is a daily challenge, and some days are better than others.
In the long run, I want Patrick to have a healthy mental attitude about himself and others. There is a lot of work to do, and if I pace myself like a long distance marathon runner, I can take some breaks here or there; and, always drink plenty of water! Embracing the challenge of mental health is not easy. My hope is that in the breakthroughs of not only science, but in the practice of true love; the cure for mental health issues will be resolved once and for all.