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Battling self-doubt during trauma recovery can feel like an impossible feat. In my experience with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), self-doubt is one of my most difficult struggles. I often compare myself to other people, second-guess my decisions, and pick myself apart until I feel unworthy and powerless. The vicious cycle of self-doubt in trauma recovery can be debilitating at times.
I control my daydreaming to lessen depression. I know "controlling your daydreaming" sounds a bit odd, but I've found that most mental processes can be controlled to some extent by paying attention. Interestingly, a new study has come out suggesting I had the right idea all along. If you control your daydreaming, you might reduce depression.
Now, I have therapy skills for my schizoaffective disorder, but that wasn't true when I was younger. My first psychotic episode hit 25 years ago this holiday season, when I was a student at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). I was only 19 years old—terrified and somewhat unaware of what was happening. I’ve grown up a lot since then. You can grow and change while living with a mental illness. I know because I did, and my mental illness changed with me. What helped me and my schizoaffective disorder grow up, along with medication, are skills I learned in therapy. Here are some of the ones I found to be most helpful.
Change is critical when healing from verbal abuse. Verbal abuse is a damaging tactic that many individuals use in relationships for various reasons. Although it may be common, this method of communication is harmful to the recipient. It can cause negative side effects for years, even after the verbal abuse is no longer present. The only way to move away from verbal abuse and heal is to change. 
Having a strong support system is so important for anxiety. This is something I've learned throughout the years in my journey to learn more about my anxiety and how to cope with it. Even in times that I feel like I want to withdraw from others because I feel overwhelmed with anxious feelings, I make it a point to turn towards my anxiety support system.
Finding yourself falling into an anxious spiral is scary, and it's easy to feel out of control. Luckily, there are some physical skills you can utilize to fight off this feeling. Sometimes, in an anxious spiral, it's difficult to think clearly, so when I face those issues, I tend to lean into physical practices, meaning that I'm doing an action using my body and not necessarily my mind to find comfort. Using physical practices is a great way to center yourself and regain emotional balance.
In my life's journey, which includes nearly two decades of mindfulness practice, I have unearthed a profound connection between a mindfulness practice that creates increased mental control and the augmentation of self-esteem. This realization has been transformative, shaping the way that I perceive myself and my role in the broader tapestry of society. There is a huge potential for mindfulness to improve one's self-esteem.
I have been living with depression for 20 years, and I mean it when I say I'm both a survivor and a victim of depression. What do I mean by this statement? Let's take a look at being a survivor and victim of depression.
Drinking alcohol with bipolar is a no-no, but over the holidays, it can be hard to remember that. After all, at holiday parties, everyone seems to be drinking. What might help is understanding why people with bipolar disorder shouldn't imbibe alcohol.
I realize now that I need to accept a lack of control in my eating disorder recovery. My battle with anorexia was never just about caloric restriction or exercise compulsion. Those behaviors were surface-level indicators of a more complex issue underneath. The main fear that drove my illness had nothing to do with food itself—on the contrary, I longed for nourishment and sustenance. My source of terror was a loss of control.

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cassie peterson
It is so unfair! I am 14 and in eighth grade and will be recieving my Sacrement of Confirmation on June 2nd.The dress code for us girls is a white,short sleeve,knee length flowergirl style dress with flower crown,white tights and white maryjane style shoes and under our tights,white 'rubberpants'[plasticpants]! We were told that the rubberpants are for to represent the purity of our baptisms and First Communion.Me and a few other girls in my class feel that this is unfair and discriminatory as there are no 'underwear' requirements for the boys! Our parents were given a website to buy the rubberpants from so we will all have the same kind on under our tights.Has anyone here had to wear 'rubberpants' under a confirmation dress like we have to?
Jack
I feel this, 100%. Dreams are the only time I feel anything like I have a life worth living. Even when the dreams aren't necessarily great dreams, I have people I interact with that treat me well, the only time I have social ties, the only time I have good social interactions, the only time I don't have all the pain and trauma and anxiety, just ... a life that might be worth living.
John Adams
I have never needed a psychiatrist or a lawyer. But I need one or both now. I am 82 years old and don't know where to turn.
Rina Knowles
This is a great reminder of a key piece to honing our skills as a teacher.
Roman soikk
I experienced anger because I went to my best meetings apparently learning how to defend myself my cpu tdt f
My girlfriend is a mental illness learning how to stop war is a mental illness