This will be my last post for the 'Relationships and Mental Illness' blog here at HealthyPlace. I found HealthyPlace after deciding to leave my job as a mental health counselor and search for a new career path. I have had the opportunity to explore how my anxiety has affected my relationships as well as share some coping strategies and advice that have helped me. So much has changed in my life in the past year that it's time for me to move on.

I'm far too acquainted with comfort food and depression. I wish I had no knowledge of it, but that's just not true. I admit to comfort-eating when depressed in spite of knowing that it tends to be bad for one's physical health. So, let's dive into what comfort food in depression is and whether it actually offers any benefit.

How a mother cares for her children can directly impact how they handle future relationships, especially when it comes to boys. A boy will learn empathy, emotional regulation, and self-confidence from his mom. However, when the connection between these two contains verbal abuse, he may show aggression towards others, be anxious, or even deal with depression. 

Recovery is never as easy as simply saying "do not hurt yourself." But if I could send a letter into the past, this is what I would write to myself. And who knows, you or someone you know may need to hear these words, too.

Everyone procrastinates at some point or another, and it's completely normal. But in my experience, depression takes it to a whole new level. Why? I guess it is because of nihilistic thinking, exhaustion, and lack of motivation, all of which are symptoms of depression. No matter what the reason is, depression and procrastination often go hand in hand. 

This is not the first time I’ve talked about my cat affecting my mental health on this blog, and it will not be the last. I’ve struggled with writer's block as of late, but writing about my cat is very easy because he makes me feel happy and I feel that there’s so much I can talk about with him. He is probably the thing that helps me the most when I am feeling down, because he is always there for me.

Last week I applied for the disability tax credit (DTC). The DTC is something we have in Canada for people with severe disabilities that still pay taxes. It doesn't just allow for a tax credit; it also allows for access to extended medical healthcare, special retirement savings benefits, and more. If you have been reading Breaking Bipolar for a very long time, you might recall that I previously applied for the disability tax credit and was rejected. Well, last week, we entered round two of applying for the disability tax credit.

Anxiety is like the aftermath of vivid dreams or nightmares. Most of the time, you recognize the physical symptoms of anxiety right away. Other times, worry builds gradually and then morphs into anxiety and/or panic attacks. Anxiety can last for a short time, or it can extend into obsessive thoughts that last for a long time. Thankfully, affirmations can help to reduce (and even release) the power of anxiety before it gets worse. To learn about these affirmations and why they can help, continue reading this post.

When meeting new people, I can become obsessive about looking for approval. Due to living with borderline personality disorder (BPD), I often feel separate from others and like my sense of self is undefined. Therefore, I sometimes change my external personality traits to better connect with other people and feel accepted.

I wear two rings that I fidget with. One is a spinner ring, designed for fidgetting; the other is a ring that's actually three interlocking rings and just happens to be good for fidgeting. I've always enjoyed wearing rings, even to the point that, in high school and early university, I wore rings on nearly every finger. Back then, it was more aesthetic-driven, but I've realized that wearing rings I can fidget with helps my anxiety.