Mental illness Archives - The Road To Mental Wellness

When PTSD catches up

When PTSD catches up, how do you handle it’s wrath?
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Let’s face it, life doesn’t stop doing its thing. It will always come with its ups and downs, that’s simply part of the deal. Sadly, these rules still apply for those with mental health conditions. Of course, I can’t speak for everyone but I can for myself. So here it goes; Life’s hard my friend and recently, I have had my fair share of the harsher side of things.

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Thing is, right now, I don’t feel that bad. Despite a break up and my son’s accident, I should be wreaked right? Well, I’m not, but its has not yet sunk in for me. Fear not, it will when PTSD catches up. Then, it will hit me.

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Being witnessed to so many critical incidents, I have built a disconnect from tragic events; not the good kind either. In fact, I have no armour what so ever. No, what I’ve got going on is an unhealthy dose of disassociation and apathy; both symptoms of PTSD but are protective in a sense. I liken it to a sort of power down mode, designed to protect what’s left of me.

Despite resembling a zombie at times because of it, make no mistake, when PTSD catches up with me, I will “feel” once more. It may take a day or maybe even three, but it will hit me and hit me hard.

Symptoms of PTSD

When it hits it will literally take my out of living. For how long, is anyone’s guess; all I know is that I will retreat from the world and live within the safety and quiet of my bedroom. This ever busy world is just too much, especially when life throws me a few curve balls. It essentially creates the perfect mental illness storm.

Read Nightmare’s aftermath

If this sounds like you, don’t despair, this need you feel to seclude yourself will pass. When PTSD catches up with you, it will be hell but hang on you WILL get through it… Stay strong.

Checkout the book I helped to write:

Lemonade Stand: Vol. III

Created by Josh Rivedal and Kathleen Myre, Lemonade Stand: Vol. III is a compilation of 20 stories from those who have served in the emergency services and the military. In it, the authors talk about their battles with PTSD, a debilitating and for many, a life-long mental illness. So, if you are from the military or emergency service’s, perhaps this book can help you combat the feelings of isolation and fear that frequently comes with post-traumatic stress disorder. Sometimes, just knowing that there are others out there, just like you, can provide you with the strength and courage to speak up and or get the help you need. The intention of this book is to help with that…. You’re not alone.

Also, Lemonade Stand: Vol III was written to help combat the stigma that often accompanies mental illness, best of all, it attempts to give all you served their countries and communities a voice… Which is amazing!

If you are struggling please go here for help: Crisis Services Canada

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August 1, 2020A Critical Incident, yours?

While faced with memories of a critical incident or more, should we …

April 16, 2020a difference a day makes.

I’m always amazed by what a difference a day makes. In the …

April 8, 2020A Moment of Disassociation

a moment of disassociation.

November 9, 2019A Side Effect

A few months ago I met with a chap who opened up …

September 5, 2020September 5, 2020

Jonathan ArenburgLeave a comment

Trending buzz words?

If it takes a village to raise children, then it takes a nations people to tackle its injustices. Not trending buzz words.
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COVID-19 at its peak was tough on so many all over the world. So much worry in fact, there were tons of talk on mental health. People, experts and lay person alike wondered about the pandemic’s impact on our mental well-being. My question now is; where did all the buzz and concern go? Are we a society full of two minute trends and trending buzz words?

If this is indeed the case, I have some real concerns around emulating the behaviours of social media’s algorithms. Firstly, if we are to tackle or most pressing social concerns like mental illness, how do we get anywhere if it falls off the radar faster than a supersonic jet?

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I’m afraid we can’t. Even though a few of us, in comparison to the total population, still champion the cause, most are moved on to the next three-minute outrage. While I am proud of the work we are all dong as mental health advocates, is it enough?

How to advocate for those with mental illness

I think it’s time that we recognize the destructive power of mental illness, Not only is it damaging to the individual but it’s impact on all of us is too large to be a treading buzz word. Furthermore, we need to work on understanding how events around us shape the mental health landscape.

people doing group hand cheer — Photo by Dio Hasbi Saniskoro on Pexels.com

So dark and dreary are the times we live in. I feel like there is no end to the medias insistence on feeding us all things trauma related. It’s unrelenting. If that weren’t bad enough, some see nothing wrong with posting a video depicting a violent act, they are everywhere. Personally, I feel like gory images do little in the way of getting justice overall because it leaves many more damaged and suicidal.

I think it’s fair to say that mental illness can spread like a virus; fed by exposure to every conceivable tragic story. But also, it worsens by our refusal as a society to ensure we or someone we know aren’t the next victim of the mental illness pandemic. We can accomplish great things if we do so as a collective.

Having PTSD myself, I go further into my shell with all this chaos. I do so simply because it feels inescapable to me. I’m sure many others feel the same. Sadly, while showing the darkest disparities of humanity on social media isn’t likely to go away, it tells me one thing, more help is needed.

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My friends, the outcry around mental illness needs to be more than a flash in the pan; the talk needs to be more than trending buzz words, it needs to be a battle taken on by the majority, every day. We don’t only lose people to the virus, we also lose an untold amount because of the mental suffering brought on by it…. Please be safe!

Checkout the book I helped to write:

Lemonade Stand: Vol. III

If you are struggling please go here for help: Crisis Services Canada

Checkout Our Mental Health Resources Page

Contact me on my Facebook page: The Road To Mental Wellness

August 26, 2020August 26, 2020

Jonathan ArenburgLeave a comment

Pain is pain period

As I go through my life, I have come to realize that pain is pain, period.
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As a thinker, I spend a lot of time thinking about my long battle with mental illness. As a result, I have learned a lot about myself along the way.

With that said, sometimes I’d give anything not to think at all. After all ignorance can be bliss, right? However, good ole mother nature designed me to problem-solve. Oh, and if that weren’t enough, she added a dash of angst; you know, so I can obsessively ruminate over what ails me.

Thankfully, there is an upside to letting anxiety take the wheel. As a matter of fact, it has, oddly enough, helped me on my road to mental wellness. How? Well, let me explain.

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While it’s true that having a mental illness sucks, my generalized anxiety disorder has an upside. Yes, an upside. So, for example, I can come up with valid solutions, at least for me, around why, lets say, PTSD impacts my life.

For me, my fight, flight or freeze response is always on high alert. So much so, it’s like someone snapped off the leaver and quietly walk away. Damn PTSD.

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Together with anxiety’s power, I am in near constant, a lot of the time, low level fear. This is what could be considered normal for me, baseline if you will. Regardless, if pain is pain, then I will work at making it better.

woman looking at sunset — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com — Pain is pain, period

As much as I consider this “my normal,” I have come to the conclusion that being in a mental state that is literally always painful, is not normal at all. I mean, If I was in near constant physical pain, the last thing I would think is “this is business as usual for me.”

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So, I have concluded that, while symptoms of PTSD are what they are, a reality I can’t escape; I deserve to, at very least, work towards accepting the constant discomfort as something I can work toward alleviating. After all, if I broke my arm, I wouldn’t whistle around town and try and muddle through; of course not.

In reality, pain is pain and in my view, pain not only happens for a reason, it deserves our full and immediate attention;If you’re hurting, please get help.

So, obsessively worrying about how I feel has made me think, think and think some more. Most importantly, my intellectual endeavours have made me realize that mental discomfort, is a normal response to mental illness, we should not mistake it for normality; rather, we should strive and grant ourselves permission to fight for inner peace.

While it’s unfortunate, that we may never experience a permanent sense of euphoria or inner calm, we can however, work on getting to a better place. We are after all, worthy of the opportunity to life our best life.