Grab the Meic: Hope From A Mental Health Survivor

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Information, advice and advocacy helpline for children and young people

This week’s Grab the Meic is a little different. It’s someone who wants to share their mental health story and the help they got. They want to show everyone that they are a survivor – and you can be too!

Grab the Meic is your opportunity to ask us about anything that’s worrying you. We’re here to listen and give advice. If you want to #grabthemeic then check out this page, but remember this advice is not instant. If you need advice quickly then please contact the helpline. This article is also available in Welsh – I ddarllen y cynnwys yma yn Gymraeg clicia yma.

Hi Meic

I’ve been struggling with mental health issues since I was 11 I started hearing voices and self-harming and experiencing extreme anxiety, followed by clinical depression. All of this made me go into a serious mental breakdown, which led to me being sectioned on a CAMHS Unit (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services). I was later diagnosed with persistent delusional disorder and complex trauma disorder (Complex PTSD) or also know as development trauma disorder. I also have borderline personality disorder (BPD) and dissociative identity disorder (DID). After months of different medications and having different therapies I’ve found the right treatment for me, a trauma based DBT (Dialectical behaviour therapy), which is helping me very much. Without CAMHS I wouldn’t be here, trust me! I have so many issues and I get suicidal nearly every day but if you have mental illness you will get BETTER!! They say people who have been through trauma are just victims but really we’re survivors! If we survived the darkest time of our life (trauma) we can survive and fight Mental illness!!!! Love you all.

Meic’s Reply

Thank you so much for getting in touch with us through Grab The Meic. Your story is certainly an inspiring one and should give hope to the many young people who struggle with mental health issues, as you have, often from an early age.

Variety

One of the messages that can be taken from your story is how there are many different mental health issues that can be treated using a variety of methods including medication and talking therapies. Often it does take time for the medical professionals to find the treatment that will best suit the individual and their condition, and it can be very frustrating when things don’t improve as quickly as we’d like. But as you’ve shown, patience and the determination to get better can, and does, pay off. You really are a survivor! One thing you didn’t mention in your message though was the things you did to help yourself get better. Self- care is something that we all do, sometimes even without realising we’re doing it. This can, at times, be as important as medication and talking therapies when working to improve our mental health. Have a look at the list below; I bet you did some of these things too!

15 ways to improve your mental health

1. Tell people what helps 2. Identify your early warning signs 3. Keep a mood diary 4. Build your self-esteem

5. Connect with other people 6. Get support from people in the same situation as you 7. Do something relaxing 8. Try some mindfulness 9. Get outside into the fresh air 10. Sleep when you feel you need to 11. Eat some healthy food 12. Get some exercise 13. Avoid alcohol/drugs 14. Make time for personal care 15. Get in touch with a specialist organisation Hopefully hearing your story will give other young people struggling with their own mental health problems hope. Thank you again for sharing it. The Meic team

If you need to talk to someone about anything that’s bothering you, then call Meic to talk to a friendly advisor. Meic is an information and advocacy helpline for children and young people aged 0-25 in Wales. We are open 8am to midnight, 7 days a week. You can contact us free on the phone (080880 23456), text message (84001) or online chat.