#mental health advocates

[maddsishufflepuff]

Five minute ago, you were fourteen, sitting on the bathroom floor with weeping wounds wondering how the fucknyou were going to survive.

Four minutes ago, you confessed to your mother that you in fact were not okay. You hadn’t seen her cry so much

Three minutes ago, you celebrated your 17th birthday, laughing loudly as you blew out the candles on your cake.

Two minutes ago, you went to church for the first time in years. And thanked God, that you were still alive.

I got to see all of this because the world didn’t end when I was 13,14,16 and 17

[glitchdollmemoria]

please can we stop describing bigots as delusional. please. im so fucking tired. someone being sucked into a hate group surrounded by others who believe minorities should be oppressed and encouraging them to believe in conspiracy theories that the rest of the group believes, is fundamentally different from someone having a mental illness that causes delusions.

delusions, by definition, cannot be explained by things like cultural background - such as having a belief constantly reinforced by intentional attempts to rationalize it for the sake of maintaining power over minorities. yes, someone can be both delusional and a bigot, and yes conspiracy theories can feed into delusions, but the two are not fucking synonymous.

i did not spend my teen years convinced that i was being stalked by demons just to hear so many of you people equate my disability with incel behavior and genocidal propaganda. stop reinforcing harmful connotations about mental health struggles.

[forestpixies]

no actually you’re either gentle parenting your child or you’re being emotionally and/or physically abusive to them, whether or not you’re aware of that.

because the term gentle parenting already includes discipline and teaching your kid right from wrong. gentle parenting doesn’t mean you can’t tell your kid no. it means you can tell them no when they do something they shouldn’t, but instead of punishing or yelling at them, you’re explaining and giving them reasons why they can’t do that, you are helping them learn and encouraging them to be better. gentle parenting means you’re using reasons built on mutual respect instead of anger. because yes, no matter how young your child is, they deserve respect too.

I’m sorry but most of the times when someone says they’re a strict parent, what it means is that they give their child childhood trauma that’ll last a lifetime, whether or not they’re aware of it. especially parents who brag to other people about how strict they are and how they punished their children.

and I’m sorry but saying you have a short temper is never an excuse to be emotionally and/or physically abusive towards your kid either.

“I yelled at you because I have a short temper” then why am I the one suffering? if you can’t control your anger, then get help. work on it. do better. be better.

also… your child standing up for themself against you, when you’re being abusive to them, isn’t them being disrespectful towards you. it means they are defending themself because you wouldn’t do that for them and so they had to step in and be their own protector.

if you’re a parent and can defend and stand up for yourself when you feel like you need to, but at the same time punish your kid when they stand up for themself against you, then you are the problem.

I was that child and I’m gonna make it as simple as I can for any parent out there — because no kid deserves to go through what I went through — imagine yourself owning a dog. really. you can either

a.) beat that dog whenever they do something wrong and simply take your anger out on them until they’re fully submissive and are terrified of you

or

b.) train them with love and gentleness and earn their love and loyalty in return

now imagine both A and B dogs on leashes and imagine them no longer being on leashes one day. which dog do you think will run away as far as they can and never look back, and which one do you think will stay because they love and want to be with their owner?

[eggsdoodz]

an unseen doodle i never posted ://

[astrangerthatlovesyou]

“It’s okay to not be okay”

Unless it impacts your work performance…

Or your grades

Or how you act

Or if it causes you to say no

Or if you’re harder to be around

Or if you need time alone

Or if you talk about it

Or show symptoms

“It’s okay to not be okay”

Unless you have trauma

Unless you have one of those “scary” mental illnesses

Unless it inconveniences me

Unless you’re undiagnosed

Unless you cry or scream or make a scene

Unless you don’t keep that shit to yourself

Unless you make me uncomfortable

Unless I can’t infantilize or fetishize you

Unless you have hallucinations

Unless you have psychosis

Unless you get angry

Unless I think you’re cringe

Unless you can’t preform hygiene tasks

Unless you’re disabled, or trans, or gay, or not white, or fat, or AFAB, or intersex, or a man… so I guess anyone

“It’s okay to not be okay”

As long as nobody ever finds out.

Our society has a severe issue with performative activism, and mental health is a huge example of this. Every time someone considers reaching out, they run through this list mentally. This is why true activists and resources need to be loudly supportive of all the things on this list. Take the subtext out of your support.

[schizoetic]

This is for the people who lost opportunities, friends, family, possessions, homes and years because of mental illness. There is still so much that you can have or regain. This isn't the end for you. Better things are ahead. It's still possible for you to be happy and feel whole. Your dreams are still within reach. You aren't broken... you're growing... and I hope someday you'll be satisfied that things didn't pan out ideally for you.

[toebeans-mcgee]

Please, don’t forget about the women in Afghanistan.

This image is not at all a commentary on Islam and/or of the different head-coverings that a woman may choose to wear while respecting her faith. Wearing a burqa/burka does not equate to an inherent lack of rights/freedom. This is also not a criticism of the Barbie movie. This is a statement about the brutal treatment of the women and girls in Afghanistan (as well as in Iran). 

I loved the Barbie movie and think it’s a very important and empowering film. However, it is a bit jarring when I’m scrolling through my phone, listening to the Barbie soundtrack, and I come across an article detailing the mounting horrors these women face in these countries. There is so much happening in the world, and it all needs news time, but the virtual media silence on this topic is frightening.

Even though my country isn’t perfect (especially so after June of last year), it’s easy to lose perspective on how privileged I am. 

The many different flavors of western feminism aren’t for everyone and every culture; to think so would be privileged and tone deaf. There is no "one-size-fits-all" kind of empowerment. But, objectively, what is happening to women and girls in Afghanistan and Iran is abhorrent and cannot be forgotten. 

If Barbie can be anything, then Barbie can be an advocate and an activist. Do what you can, Barbies.

“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” ― Audre Lorde

[blessyouhawkeye]

i fucking hate that jonghyun sulli and hara get dragged into every conversation like this. mourn moonbin and celebrate his memory but leave them at peace

[diaryofanenchantedprincess]

Rarely ever be emotional. Your default is under emotional. Always observing, looking at how you can turn certain events to have a favorable outcome for you and where you can benefit from. Save your emotions for your children or your pets or for when you write or paint or express yourself. Save it for your journal to put them all down in and sort through them. Process your emotions in private, with someone you trust, or with a therapist. Practice mental hygiene every night where you put them down on paper or say them out loud. But your emotions are a currency.

Say you only have so much currency to spend every day. Would you be giving them out as freely as you do and to people who didn’t even ask for it?

[study-diaries]

Progress is still progress!

It doesn't matter if you hadn't done the things you were supposed to do. It doesn't matter that if you finished 1 thing out of 4 things. You don't have 3 more things to do, you have 1 less thing to complete.

It doesn't matter if you had relapsed after a day or 3 of productivity and healing into a spiral again. What matters is that you get back up and start again. Because now you're a bit stronger and more resilient than before.

It doesn't matter if all you did today was getting out of bed, eat and change your clothes while you did nothing else. Appreciate yourself and give yourself the credit you deserve for doing those small things.

It doesn't matter if the only thing you did today was to focus on existing and on yourself alone. Be proud of surviving till the end of the day because you made it through knowing that there was a possibility of you not making it.

Progress is still progress. It doesn't matter if you take small or big steps. You're taking a step and that's all that matters.

[favoritedreams]

𝑆ℎ𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑒 － 𝐴 𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑏𝑦 𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔

𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 . 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞.

Start off with a clean foundation- By using an unscented bar of soap. Take your time with this step as it is very important. It is best to wash about twice for this step . Make sure to wash with a washcloth.

Next, apply your scented scrubs or body wash - Now that you're clean from your first layer, apply your favourite scented body washes over top with a loofah, an African net cloth, a silicone body brush, or whatever exfoliating tool you have.

* You've just finished a crucial step without realising it , you've double cleansed. Similar to skin care, double cleansing ensures that your skin is clean and prepped . Before going the additional mile, it is important to start with a a clean surface.

Rinsing with cold water- it’s a game changer from someone who loves hot showers and use to find the idea of taking a cold one crazy. It has so many benefits , I feel more fresh and committed to my routine. This is just personal preference.

Put on lotion - A little tip if you use body oil mix in with your lotion , this method is is also your base to smelling good for a longer period of time .

Put on deodorant - Self explanatory

Perfume of you choice - Finish your routine by smelling good in your favorite scent and you’re done !

**Make sure your scents match , avoid mixing any scent’s together that do not go together , finding your signature scent takes time but keep scents in range **

𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞

Dr. Bronner's Unscented Bar soap - Wash twice with washcloth

Dove body wash Shea butter and vanilla scent - Wash twice with more of an exfoliating tool . Ex ( loofah , African net , Silicone brush )

Tree hut Brown sugar scrub - exfoliate twice a week at most

Vaseline coco radiant Lotion + body oil

Any vanilla scent perfume

Follow @favoritedreams for more ♡︎

[constantlymisgendered]

money loves me

money is obsessed with me

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[louroth]

Forget the IF, just wanted to check in and see if YOU were okay dear author? I hope everything is well. I know you have a process lol, but I miss seeing you on my TL from time to time.

oh, kjsdhfjskdf . how sweet<3 thank you for this! I am doing well, crafting ouro alongside some personal shifts and growth and setbacks and victories. it has been a godsend to take all this pressure off for this period and do things my way. though, I'll say: while it has taken and will probably take another while, this silence will be broken at some point. I'll avoid saying soon only because I'm staunchly sticking to my pace&process. however !! I finished the draft for the first book yesterday. !! I am currently doing some hefty edits, collecting art and testing coding (&learning something new a hundred times over, over, again, whether it be storycrafting, interactivity, ui design, social media, art, code ... the list goes on) and so for the most part, I'm having a good time, as long as we count the entire spectrum of the human condition as a mostly good time. pfft.

I miss hanging out here too! I genuinely can't wait to get back to online shenanigans once I feel ready for it; if you'll have me, of course. I can imagine that this type of secret development is frustrating and everyone has their limit. It means a lot that you sent this my way. Hope you're doing well too. <3

[schizoetic]

The hardest thing with psychosis is that point where you start to come out of it and have to process all the shittiness that was done and said to you or residual embarassment. If you are near that point then I would like to tell you that it is absolutely possible to get through it.

[ageofevermore]

i struggled finding the words to explain the crippling anxiety and worthlessness i felt surrounding personal attachments/relationships and this is everything i’ve never been able to put into words, but it makes me feel a whole lot less crazier

[neuroticboyfriend]

at the end of the day, addicts are just people with an illness. we can run ourselves in circles all day - doing drugs, finding drugs, lying to ourselves and others, digging deeper, spiraling, feeling on top of the world, fighting for our lives. we can do and feel and experience all that, and more.

but at the end of the day, it's just another day lived as a human being. there's nothing exceptional about us. nothing about us that makes us broken or monsters, nothing that means people are better off without us, nothing that means we're failures and doomed. we are just people with an illness, one that's both 'mental' and 'physical.'

our lives are hard, and the people who care about us often struggle beside us. but that doesn't mean every moment we're alive, in active addiction, is a moment wasted. our lives matter just as much as others, and we don't have to have all the answers now. us being alive is good, and there is always joy in this world for us - joy that we can both share and receive.