I have been living independently most of the time. It was a struggle to be consistent with one of my mental health medications. At first, it was difficult to understand its importance. I realized this by knowing what it was and what it was not. Then I discovered that being consistent mattered. I noticed how I felt when I did not take it. This affected me not only mentally, but physically too.

While for decades before I had lived independently. medication consistency was constantly assured by my parents. They had known when I had not taken it and so had I. I know when I do not. But I had to learn something important. Taking care of my well-being was beyond the medication. I was battling to be consistent with it. It was also about doing the other things needed to stay well.

I had not always known these things because they were not things that were talked about. It was not because the long-term effects were seen. People knew that other things were just as important. A healthy eating habit is important. Being active in some capacity is also crucial. It is important to be outside and get some fresh air. I need to understand what can stress me out. It’s crucial to know how to cope and take care of myself when necessary.

It can be tough when you have danced the dance around your illness for so long. It’s hard to see that sticking with the right choice matters. It does make a difference, no matter what is going on in your life. It sometimes means that you have to make things like sleep a priority over the things you think are important. The theories you have about how you feel can affect your self-care. How you think you feel can cause you not to take care of yourself. You can also see ways about how you carry yourself that are just not you. I began to see them more and more. I started to understand that I needed all of my mental health medications for the conditions that I experience.

I think that I had always seen it. But I never fully understood that not adhering to my mental health medication was behind the thoughts I had. It also affected the way that I was feeling. It was about processing the necessary things. It also involved understanding what needed to be understood about the reasons behind not adhering to my medication regimen. I realized that those consequences were different than when I first was medicated over two decades ago. I also learned how valuable the hard work was. It was crucial to get the right cocktail of medication. This allows me to live the life that I do.

I now understand that caring for my mental health matters every day. It doesn’t matter what is happening or not. I should want to feel good and not the way that I felt in the past. I must stop ignoring my feelings. Instead, I need to do whatever it takes to care for myself.