I've been interested in cars all my life. If you buy a standard car and as a younger person you want to modify it to perform "better", you can- stiffen the suspension...that will give you a harsher ride, a louder exhaust will give you a little more power with the tradeoff of a headache, bigger wheels and tyres that will make your speedo go out of whack...and so on. There is always a tradeoff with modifications.
Mental illness, the treatment of it is not any different. At the height of my emotional roller coaster mid 20's I headed for the hills. Fed up with battling society, people, abuse, violence etc. That kneejerk action came with ramifications. Was I going to survive living in a tent? how long for? when I run out of money I wont be able to purchase bare essentials like toothpaste, soap, food!! After 3 visits to the bush, all failed in their plan, I realised I needed to review my life. What is the balance?
I knew I needed society. Perhaps the balance is being on the fringe of it? Could I suck out of society my basic needs then give back when I had the capability (like now as a champion here)?
The fact is that every challenge put up to me by my illnesses there was a balance I could find that allowed me to survive happily. Like-
- Employment- Unhappy with working for a boss I developed a goal of working for myself. A long time goal once achieved I survived to 57yo as my own boss until I could no longer work anymore...an extra 18 years
- Clubs- Any organisation can be a threat with personalities and intolerance. I made rules, not volunteer for any committees, dont buy the town newspaper or get involved with politics.
- Acquaintances- If a neighbour I dont get along with passes by, I be cordial but limit any conversation to a maximum of 1-2 minutes even less.
- For me living in a country town about 4000 people is the balance. Enough people so it provides hospital, supermarket etc, not enough people to be impersonal.
- Medical attention- There's a balance between getting the best help you need and living life. This is a tough one to mention as we are all different but in my case I decided there is some areas of my health I would accept totally and stop worrying about it. Blood tests for thinners/diabetes, chiro care for neck issues and so forth. The key here is the word "worry", I have enough of that with my mental challenges.
You get the idea- balancing your life with these major things can result in some happiness. Prioritize for YOU.
What do you think?
TonyWK
