We often say that those with loved ones facing challenges like mine must remember to love ourselves. These challenges include being autistic and having mental health issues. We must support ourselves through our struggles. Looking back at that statement, I realize the times I have personally struggled with my mental health. It takes me back to a worried state. I know I was not myself at the time. But we need to love ourselves. We must do this when we have to get back on track from our experiences.

Our brain can influence our perception. It can make us think that life seems unfair. We need to give ourselves extra care now. Our brain allowed us to have a lot of extra energy in the past. But we must realize that we were also not ourselves in a lot of ways. There were many times that I was just surviving and not thriving like I am today. Taking care of my mental health by whatever means necessary allows me to thrive.

Yes, it can hurt at times to go to bed at the hour I do. Yet, there is a need to be ready for work or day services. I must also do the things I need to do before heading out. For the longest time, I believed that those I worked with or helped me “won.” I thought this because I had to take medicine. I not see how the medicine was beneficial to me. Eventually, I saw how beneficial taking medicine was to me. Even if I had to fight off the early side effects, eventually, it would be worth it.

Another thing that was different this time was that I was food tracking and working to not overeat. This was a huge side effect of my medication. I deeply hated this effect, and I was trying to fix it. But stopping the medication cold turkey was certainly not the answer and resulted in relapses in the past. Eventually through a series of events I learned how important it was to take my medication as prescribed and consistently. It again required fighting off those early side effects. I also needed to be mindful of my food intake in the process.

In the end it was me that won and things got better for me in time. It was hard at first. But I knew through the power of learning and TV that things would get better in a few weeks. It also made me realize how important psychotropic medication was in having a successful mental health recovery. These medications were crucial for addressing my mental health challenges that were co-occurring with being autistic. It took loving me through the challenges of getting back on track to see how valuable they were.

I know things will get better. I will adhere to my medication regimen. I will also follow my calorie plan. The weight will come down in due time. I need to be patient with myself in that regard. Medications can cause weight gain, which is challenging. I must also do my part to combat the struggles I face in that process. I know that the weight will not come off overnight. I have a responsibility to work at overcoming the urge to eat when temptation arises.

Patience is crucial when getting back on track. It helps keep things consistent. This consistency supports my mental health recovery. Knowing that there are tools to make the process smoother is beneficial. These tools help in making things better for me in the long run.