Open this thread if you feel like your mind is your worst enemy

I don’t know exactly what you’re going through. I don’t know exactly how it feels. But I know that it’s really fucking hard. I know that every day feels like an uphill battle.

It feels like your mind is working against you. And that’s not fair. It’s not fair that your own brain, your own thoughts, your own emotions do everything they can to keep you from living the life you want to live.

It’s so much. All the time. And you don’t get any breaks. You don’t get to pause your own thoughts. There’s no power button. There’s no ‘off switch.’ I know how exhausting it is. And I am so incredibly sorry.

I want you to know that it’s not your fault. It probably feels like it is. You probably blame yourself. Maybe you think it would all go away if only you “tried harder.” Then again, you probably hold yourself to plenty of unrealistic expectations. And I see how hard you’re trying.

Remember that your mind lies. Everyone’s mind lies to them, but yours is a little more skilled at it. And since the two of you- you and your mind- live in such close quarters, it’s pretty damn hard to ignore all of those noisy lies.

And people just don’t fucking get it. You know it sounds cliche, but it’s also just a fact. They tell you to just try harder, to “just think positive,” to “just stop worrying,” to eat healthier and exercise more. They suggest yoga or meditation or aromatherapy or self help books.

And maybe some of those things help, a little. Maybe they help more than a little. But none of them change the fact that this is the brain you were given. And this brain you have to learn to live with.

And sometimes what you want more than anything, more than words of wisdom or personal advice or stories of success or encouraging sentiments is just for someone to be there, for someone to make you feel a little less alone in this.

I want you to know that you’re not alone. Maybe the people you live with don’t get it. Maybe the people you’re related to don’t get it. Maybe the people you spend the most time with don’t get it. And maybe no one in the world gets it, completely. But people care.

And you’re not the only one fighting your mind. That’s not to belittle your suffering. That’s not to say that you should suck it up or get over it. No, the fact that so many other people are out there every day fighting their minds is just proof that this is survivable.

Not only is it survivable, but it gets better. God, it gets so much better than you can imagine right now. Remember that just because you can’t see a better life for yourself at this very moment in time doesn’t mean that a better life doesn’t exist.

Never give up on your mental health. Never give up on living the life you want to live. Don’t let your mind convince you that what you want is somehow unachievable. Remember that that’s what your mind does to you: it lies.

But over time, it’ll get easier and easier to talk back to it. Over time, it’ll be easier not to believe it. Over time, the uphill battle will start to feel less steep.

I’ll be thinking of you.