Over the past year, I have been working in earnest to improve how I care for my mental health. I do this by being more compliant with my medication. This was a battle I fought constantly. No matter how many times I thought I didn’t need it, the outcome was never good. I was fighting a battle. I just had to do what was right. I needed to be consistent in fighting and see that things got better in time.

I had to start with the belief that things would improve. They were going to be better than they had been many times before when I wasn’t consistent with my medication. I was hurting myself. My actions were pointless and destructive because of false beliefs and fears. I had to be real with myself. I needed to start 2026 off in the right way. It involved doing the right thing and taking the medication exactly as prescribed. The reality was that I had never really experienced the doses prescribed to me for a long time. This was because I wasn’t patient with myself during the process. I needed to see that things be better if I let the meds get in my system. They would do the right thing for me and the world in which I must exist.

After the first few weeks, others noticed different parts of my old self come back. Still, it was a battle I had to fight within myself. I knew I had to do the right thing for me. It matters not only to me but to others who need me at my best. I needed to realize that taking my medication as directed was not a sacrifice. It was simply a part of my life and had to be. It did not make me any less than. Although my life was different, it was not a less lived one. This was the reality I needed in my life. It was how things had to be. It took effort to improve other areas. I focused on making the bed for its intended purpose. I also had to rethink what I was eating and drinking.

In 2026, within a month or so, I realized something important. I needed to adhere to my medication regimen exactly as prescribed. This was the only way to see if there was a way of improving how I was feeling. My past approach was not only wrong but also not making me feel the best. I had to be patient with myself and trust the process. Going through more days fully medicated would result in a better outcome for me. It would enhance my ability to interact with what’s often a fragile world.

Without a doubt, battling something for some time hasn’t been easy. Yet, this year, I had the determination to do what was right. I wanted to resolve it once and for all for the right reasons. I had to realize that it took patience. I needed to recognize that things improve over time. I also had to stay persistent while getting back on track.