As I started the new year, I mutually made the decision to discharge from a mental health service that felt that I am at a point of wellness that it has become more of a struggle to find issues to address.. It is accepting that I am improving my mental health journey and am ready to move towards bigger and better.
It has been a long journey since I started these particular services nearly 3 and a half years ago. I was in the midst of starting to fall apart because I was not taking care of my mental health needs, particularly by not following my medication regimen. This was evidenced by those that I work with and my day program and they reached out to my therapist who before it was brought to my attention I was referred to these services.
With this service, I was able to unpack with the worker so much that I kept in my headspace while discovering who I truly was, even though I was continuing to crash little by little and even when I was in crisis the services made me see the reality in things and eventually when things had to transition to phone calls for some time at the onset of the pandemic, They worked with me see my calling of writing of my blog to what it is today and the complimentary e-blast. This gave them a viewpoint of where I was prior to our visits so my state of my mental health could be gauged and my needs would be addressed and where I could open up more about it and feel better at the end of our visits.
Since having this and additional channels to express my thoughts on being neurodiverse has provided me a great sounding board and has allowed me to see myself grow and connect to not only other advocates, both self-advocates and those from a family viewpoint. It puts things in perspective and realizes how much I have improved in the past few years and how much better things are for me now that I am in a better environment.
All things considered, from the point when I entered this service over three years ago, I was such a different person and so much was going on. I crashed. The world crashed, It did a number to me. I became more vulnerable to others and this service made me see where I needed to define myself, what I needed to let go in my life and move forward into the person I am today.
I have realized as much as the world has that I need to work on my mental health because it is very valuable, especially being neurodivergent in my life and sometimes not oftentimes a necessity of properly regulating myself. It is understanding the need of accepting and determining boundaries and a safe space for me which having this service over the past few years has also made me feel comfortable making it mine and truly mine, no matter what thoughts were ingrained in my brain because of following societal norms from decades or even generations ago and realizing that I need to determine, establish and connect with those that make me who I am and see that I am not alone out there in this world.
With this revolution that I have successfully completed a service that did what it was intended for me to do not only helped create my independence and tell my story, but it slowly unwrapped the package of seeing who I truly, that I need to pat myself on the back, and be proud of the person who I am.
Moving Forward I am doing better and I know that, I know that this is not the end of my story and that I am in a good place and there will be bigger and better things down the road someday as I continue to travel the path that I am destined to travel and pick up where I left off nearly four years ago. I am truly blessed and thankful.
Dustin's Dynasty 