Self Care is Self Love

[SkyFeather]

I had an intense experience last year. It was so intense it changed my life for the better if it had not happened to me in the way that it did. It was the dead of northern winter when I had a severe anxiety attack that did induce hallucinations and visions. I invented such a fearful story that I thought was genuine because of all the stories that were ever spoken to me up until then. I let others tell me how to live my life. I let what pains occurred to me in my past succumb to my breakdown. My mind did not know how to keep up anymore from a society that only kept hurting me.

When I got out of the ward, not a fun experience, either. The medication gave me the worst side effects. The psychiatrist could not diagnose me. And each time I checked up with him, I shared my fears, which lead to increasing my medication and giving me more brands to add on to what was given. At one point I felt like a numb nervous zombie. I did not know what I was anymore.

There was so much pain in my mind.

I felt like I would never be able to drive again. I'd never be able to learn again. I'd never be able to have emotions again. I'd never be able to be myself again.

There was so much pain.

I made a choice and dropped everything. My husband is indigenous and I chose to practice the traditions, changed my job, and set up goals. Instead of giving up and believing this was how my life will be for now on, I fought everything with what we would call Self Care.

I would make myself drive to the store to pick up one item. I would make myself craft even if it was so basic and it would take me longer. I gave them away as gifts. I began journaling, even though it was so difficult to write at the time. I would pray, practice the traditions, and make myself learn even though it would be painful to do so. I practiced gratitude and would sleep at night with positive self-talk affirmations and meditation music. I kept building more self care tools and strategies.

I was able to turn it all off. Gain control and changed my entire belief system.

It was difficult to do, but here I am to tell you it is possible to change and fill your void with self love! Self Care was something I was not taught when I was a kid growing up, never knew what it was when it was first mentioned to me as an adult.

Start your self-care now and not wait until it could happen to you like it did to me. Learn to love you. Only you will be able to fill your voids and be happy.

Self Care saved me. Self Care is Self Love. My family's loving support system helped me too. Meeting the right people saved me. I changed my job to helping others. It was very drastic, but I tell you it is possible to get out of the worst scenario and become a better, brighter person.

Creator's love was with me the entire time.

I am thankful every day for being alive.

Thank you,

Sky Feather

[Baile]

That is a great post, very hopeful for all those who struggle with such issues. Yes, I too was saved so to speak by surrounding myself with supportive people. I don't acknowledge that enough I think, thanks for the reminder. Now I want to hug someone!

[sky]

Originally Posted by Baile

That is a great post, very hopeful for all those who struggle with such issues. Yes, I too was saved so to speak by surrounding myself with supportive people. I don't acknowledge that enough I think, thanks for the reminder. Now I want to hug someone!

Yesssssss, I will join in the and wish you both well.
Lovely Post SF, best wishes for the future....

[Ciona]

Originally Posted by Baile

Now I want to hug someone!

Lol, couldn't resisit.

[happy soul]

SkyFeather, congratulations about your success and learning to love yourself.

I find your example very inspiring and I'm sure others do too.

Most people, definitely including me, need to learn to love ourselves better, and although every person and situation is unique, you're evidence and proof that it can be done.

[Ciona]

Great post. I don't think Self Care is talked about enough.

I'm in the middle of building Self Care strategies and habits and drastically changing my life. I've been there quite a while due to some other, unrelated factors. I found your post very encouraging.

[linen53]

Bravo SkyFeather! If people would read your story and just realize no one can fix them but themselves. You remind me of a similar experience I had when I was a young adult, mental hospital and all.

I swore I would never 'visit' a mental hospital again and I haven't.

[Starman]

SkyFeather, thank you for sharing that story, such an important message.
I have experienced a similar story, and often I now say that sometimes you have
to go through hell to find heaven.

Self-care is so important, we should care for our mind the same way that we care
for our body. Most people wash their face and bush their teeth daily but do nothing
for their mind. Comprehensive self-care is so important. As you have said, self-care
is self-love.

It's a wonderful story.

Tends to show that almost all psychiatrists can do is bludgeon people with their
"medicines" into a zombie state where the patient has no will of their own.

Wonderful to hear this story of mending and if there's one lesson in spiritual will, this is it. Congratulations.

[Shivani Devi]

Beautiful post, SkyFeather!

Over the last few years, I have developed many food allergies and intolerances and I know, by listening to my body, that I just can't digest certain foods like I used to...dairy products, gluten, legumes and sucrose being the main culprits.

However, I have been willingly ignoring this just so I can eat things 'everybody else does' and then wonder why I am always bloated up like a balloon, full of gas...having pain in my stomach and under my rib cage, having my arthritis, GERD, IBS and fibromyalgia flare up and basically getting around like a 'bear with a sore head' always.

Today, after a week of unrelenting bloating and pain I bit the bullet...threw out all my bread and biscuits, my full cream milk and cheese, my tins of beans, my cruciferous vegetables and went to the store, replacing it all with brown rice and oats, organic soy milk, creamed corn, LSA and rye bread...along with litres of alkaline water, kale powder, manuka honey, apple cider vinegar (with the mother) and peppermint and lemon thyme organic tea.

I've also got out all of my guided meditation CD's...replaced my soap-based body wash for a soap free one...replaced my washing powder with a sensitive one for babies and even got one of those 'baby cups' with small holes in the top, so I don't swallow too much air down when I drink.

Self-love entails changing circumstances after realising that if I do nothing, I am just going to keep on suffering the same way, day in and day out.