Over the past several years, I had been struggling with adherence to my mental health medication. This calendar year was the game changer for me. There has always been a belief. It was going to always get me back on track. It was going to make me perfect as I once was. And while it is getting back to a better state increasingly. I still know how important it is. It is just one tool in the wellness toolbox. I need to use it to take care of my mental health.

I have proven in 2025 how beneficial it is to be continually adherent to my mental health medications. There is no doubt about this. Slowly I have been getting my life back on track. I know it is helpful in many ways. Yet, it is just one part of maintaining my mental health. Other factors are also just as crucial. It indeed is crucial and in fact necessary for the daily life that must be had for me. In fact it helps me keep the life going that I want. But there are other parts that must be adhered to that work good for me too.

A treatment plan is often created when getting mental health medications through a mental health clinic. Psychotherapy is part of the treatment plan, as recommended by the doctor themselves. Despite its perceived drawbacks, it has become a valuable tool in my life. Having the right person can give insights beyond just business matters. They can offer help in ways that best favor you. I can guarantee that they have heard it all. Even if you think you don’t have time or have nothing to say, make time. Shop around if necessary. Get comfortable in your own ways.

Psychotherapy can make you be brutal, honest and cry but it gets you closer to where you want to be. Decades ago, when I started, I didn’t talk much. Over time, I have learned to get the best value I can out of each session. I know I need it and it has helped me, even at its worst points. Since my father has been homebound this year, my mental health outpatient services have been delivered in a telehealth format. This format is very beneficial for me. It not only eliminates the transportation barriers I have but also allows me to be more focused. I can just be honest and say what is on my mind without any fear. This has taken time, but I know I would be lost without it.

I have introduced other tools in the past few years. These include a Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) and a Self-Care Plan. There are also other things that have helped me along the way. These are tools that I have to use when I am at home. My mind wants to ruminate or develop thoughts that just aren’t true. I know that these thoughts are not true. I can do better with tools of distraction.

I had long believed that not taking the medication would change my feelings. I thought it would make the experiences I had as part of being autistic disappear. But, as the medication lost its effectiveness, things got worse. Others began to see and fear my fury for many reasons. I believed in many myths about self-care limitations due to medication. In fact, what I believed to be a myth was completely true. Self-care became easier and better. This happened when I was relaxed. I focused on doing what I liked and not what I had read or long believed.

I proved what I needed to prove once and for all. I began to let go of the flawed thinking. I understood how important it was to take my medicine. Doing all the other necessary things became an essential part of living with the challenges I face. I had felt better and prouder than I had ever been. I proved to myself that I was capable of doing what I had wanted to do all along. It wasn’t just because I was taking medication. It was because it and other things helped me achieve what I had never dreamed of.