Last year, one of the hardest things to do was knowing that I had to care for my mental health. This was necessary to live the best life. My mind, yet, often told me not to. I needed to put the flawed thoughts to rest. This helped me understand that what I had believed about my medicine was an upright lie. As hard as it was to fight the battle, I eventually learned it was for the best. I needed to do what I had to do because it was necessary and beneficial.

It can be easy to make excuses for ourselves when our day does not go as planned. Many times we aren’t as kind to ourselves as we need to be. This can make getting through the day even harder. We don’t allow ourselves to accept that we are human. Things happen to us that are sometimes out of our control. It is acceptable to do what we need to do to care for ourselves.

We often do many things in life to improve our situation. Additionally, we need to take time to rest. As a result, it can be hard to accept things for what they are. We pass blame or fault. We even are extremely critical of what we have to do. But, it is essential to focus on what we need to do to care for ourselves. Sometimes it can be hard to see that. Eventually, we realize that we feel so much better when our needs are met. Our brain is wired to think the opposite.

One of the hardest things I had to do was accept that certain challenges took time. These included being groggy in the morning and taking time to get moving while adjusting to the medication. It meant that I had to plan for extra sleep. I needed to adjust my hobbies and find things to do in place of time for quality sleep. I needed to be kind to myself on those mornings. I understood that the medication is in place to help me. It is just a part of what I need to do to stay well.

I realized how vital it was to take my medication consistently. Understanding its importance led me to make it more of a priority. Over time, I observed the improvement I was making. I understood the value of my medication. It became clear why all of it was crucial for my well-being each day. Others deserved me at my best. I also deserved to be my best, even though my brain went against the grain for so long. I had a medication cocktail that has been working well for over two decades. Why should I, as one doctor suggested decades ago, “rock the boat?”

I had learned that I have to do everything in my power to care for my mental health. This is true even if I think I don’t want to. It has been proven to work for me. I deserve it just as much as anyone else. Those around me will be as grateful as I am when I do what is right.