Being Happy while Dealing with Mental Health Issues

 After I wrote my last on Being Happy I received the following via text message from one of my Recovery friends. And I want to address it.

"I get that our mindset is important. However, no amount of choosing to be happy would cure my depression. Medication can be life saving. There's also TMS and I know one person whose life has completely changed for the better because of it.

It makes me sad to see anyone believe that if they just try hard enough, they can just choose to be happy. When literally, it's your brain chemistry and there's help out there. 💜 I wanted to be happy so bad and kept blaming myself for TOO long. What I needed was a mix of medication, therapy AND NA. 💜" 

First, I totally understand where my friend is coming from. I also have mental health issues to deal with. Depression and PTSD being my two. That I am aware of.

I am also an Addict in Recovery thru NA.

Choosing to Be Happy does not cure depression. And I never, in any way, meant to imply that it would. Medication, Therapy, and Recovery, with other forms of Self Care with outside help, all have there place. I would be the last one to argue with that.

I also believe, from my own experience and shared experience from others, that while I can, and do, choose to be happy, there are times when it takes effort. And that effort means dealing with the things that are in the way of being happy. Like Depression, PTSD, and Addiction for me. And that means that I take the actions needed and the get the help required to be in a space where I can actually make the Choice to Be Happy a reality.

I have also experienced wanting to be happy and failing miserably. I also kept blaming myself and figuring that I was irredeemably broken and had no hope. It took a lot of work to get past that and get to where I am today.

And I never, in any way, meant to try and say anything different.

I also know that in living inside the choice to Be Happy my mental health episodes have become fewer and further between and much more manageable.

So to my friend, Yes, Mindset is important. And so is all of the rest. And I can, and do, cheer for anyone who is putting in the work. I also will help in any way that I can. Because this is Life and death stuff.

I Recover out Loud because I, and many others, have almost, or have, died in silence.

And if one person can get a little hope, and maybe some inspiration to do something different, from what I write, then everything that I have lived to this moment is completely worth it.

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