Mental Health Awareness

[P1x3l 44]

I don't have a certain illness or anything it's just that I feel numb and disconnected like all the time and then randomly feel extreme emotions but it's like I don't feel them fully?. It's mostly anger or anxiety but I don't remember the last time I was genuinely happy...Also I randomly get overwhelmed out for no where. But luckily in a few weeks I'm going to weekly therapy and hopefully they'll sort it out. 

[Tanta 32]

Rather a complicated topic for me. I do have aphantasia and was diagnosed with dyspraxia. Both of these combined mean I struggle with a good deal of tasks and feel extremely hampered artistically.

But, what caused me the most anguish was related to a surgery I had. No formal diagnosis of any kind, but it did result in a bunch of symptoms adjacent to C-PTSD. It's a daily struggle. I'm doing better than I was say, covid times but I suspect it is something I shall have to bear for my life.

[Raskolnikov 1,719]

16 minutes ago, Tanta said:

Rather a complicated topic for me. I do have aphantasia and was diagnosed with dyspraxia. Both of these combined mean I struggle with a good deal of tasks and feel extremely hampered artistically.

I have wondered if I have hypophantasia myself - I can somewhat try and imagine pictures in my head if pressed (so not full aphantasia), but it's very hard for me to see/add details etc - it's blurry visuals for me. It's similar to memory recall for me in that it makes recalling and describing events or instructions hard, and I tend to struggle with instructions when they require visualisation. I'm not sure why?? I used to write fanfics as a teen so I don't know if my ability to visually imagine things rapidly went downhill after I stopped engaging with fiction in literature, so my visual imagery "muscle" atrophied, so to speak. Or maybe I was always like this and never thought about it as a kid, who knows. Reading fiction these days is very hard and somewhat unrewarding for me because of this these days, while nonfiction texts I think are easier for me to read than the average person. *shrug*

Interesting you brought it up because I can see how it makes tasks harder, I do wonder if it has to do with me struggling more than most with instructors

[Ganondorf8 11,695]

There is one thing that I did forget to mention.

I've also been suffering from depression for almost twenty years. It tends to ebb and flow depending on what experiences I happen to be going through at any given time.

[ExplosionMare 21,333]

I've struggled with anxiety issues since I was a middle schooler but they're not near as constant as they used to be. They can get bad enough every now and then though where I start to feel physically ill. Thankfully I've learned how to deal with that via peppermints and medication if I need it. I don't medicate for my anxiety though since it was never unmanageable enough without meds.

I also realized that I had struggled with depression for way longer than I thought, possibly since middle school like with the anxiety. It got really bad a few times and it's the worst feeling because it's a total lack of feeling. At least when I was just anxious, I'd still have feeling. Depression is one of those things I figured I'd be feeling forever, but I've managed to pull myself out of it through therapy and just learning to cope on my own by giving myself things to be motivated about.

I have also struggled with self-harm and intrusive thoughts. Both are incredibly scary and I'm so grateful that they're not a 24/7 constant like they used to be. With intrusive thoughts, I trained myself to strike a balance between letting some thoughts go and challenging others. You can't fully fight against your brain but at times, you do need to challenge your thinking if you want to grow and re-wire any consistantly negative paths. As for the self harm, therapy helped me the most with that and learning how to regulate my emotions. My urges were so hard to understand for the longest time but now I know it was just my natural response to being overwhelmed emotionally and mentally. I have learned to let myself stim (in a non-harmful way) if I am feeling that kind of overwhelmed or I grab a plushie and cuddle it if I have one nearby. Avoiding triggering content as much as possible has helped too, since I used to consume that sort of content all the time without realizing I was just feeding my urges.

[rascalrat 129]

im usually a private dude but ill say something: i have a psychosis schizophrenia bipolar thing going on(i need help finding the right name for this please) ever since i was a child i had these issues but i didn't know. everything checks off. im very happy though, but this is an intense thing for me. i scare myself sometimes with hallucinations.

[CowBoyKid 2,100]

I have many mental health issues that I live with, I am not going to list what but I do have them.

[CowBoyKid 2,100]

I guess I will name one of my mental health issues, I am diagnosed with schizophrenia.

[Iridescent Edge 459]

13 minutes ago, CowBoyKid said:

I guess I will name one of my mental health issues, I am diagnosed with schizophrenia.

What’s that like?

[CowBoyKid 2,100]

12 minutes ago, IridescentEdge said:

What’s that like?

Well, I used to hear and see things that weren't there, it's a rather complicated illness to explain, I was hospitalized twice in my life and spend 3 weeks each time, I mean I take meds for it now so I don't hallucinate anymore, I'd say to google it, for more info on it because I don't know how to explan it any more then I have.

[ExplosionMare 21,333]

On 2025-06-12 at 5:33 AM, rascalrat said:

im usually a private dude but ill say something: i have a psychosis schizophrenia bipolar thing going on(i need help finding the right name for this please) ever since i was a child i had these issues but i didn't know. everything checks off. im very happy though, but this is an intense thing for me. i scare myself sometimes with hallucinations.

I think that's called "schizoaffective disorder". The kind of schizophrenia with the bipolar mood swings.

[rascalrat 129]

On 2025-06-14 at 6:52 AM, ExplosionMare said:

I think that's called "schizoaffective disorder". The kind of schizophrenia with the bipolar mood swings.

oh thank you so much! ive been doing research on it now and 95% checks out. ill keep looking it up c:

[Fritzy 2,035]

Lets see. Just disorders/illnesses I suppose 

Adhd Autism and Did

take a guess which ones the ‘most’ fun /s /j

I do struggle often with them because well mmm one of them makes things a bit more difficult to even know what’s going on let alone when or what I said 

[Fritzy 2,035]

40 minutes ago, Fritzy said:

Lets see. Just disorders/illnesses I suppose 

Adhd Autism and Did

take a guess which ones the ‘most’ fun /s /j

I do struggle often with them because well mmm one of them makes things a bit more difficult to even know what’s going on let alone when or what I said 

And like others yes I am willing to answer questions on did you might have 

they might not be like 100% factual but they’re more from my experience 

 

[Tye456 9]

Mental health is so important for a healthy life. I’ll give a small example from my own experience — I really wanted to get a haircut, but for some reason, I just couldn’t get it done. It might sound small, but it affected me more than I expected. I felt mentally down and restless until I finally got the cut. That moment made me realize how even little things can impact our mental well-being. So yes, always take care of your mental health, even in the small ways that matter to you. 💙

[Felis Amafeles 1,783]

I obviously have mental problems but there are no local psychiatrists 

[feralfilly 161]

Mental health is a huge topic for me as it affects my life greatly. So I have a lot to say about it, but I also try to be private about it due to insecurity—so I'll try to keep this brief. (I say this as I might end up overexplaining myself to where it's not brief anymore💀 Apologies in advance for that.)

I have mental disorders and many mental struggles. My Autism and ADHD have been a weight on my shoulders a lot of my life—I've felt left out in society. I feel that more than ever right now since I recently turned eighteen, yet I still don't have the skills I should have by this age. I also struggle with heavy identity issues and memory loss. It has caused me to be confused in myself and about the people around me, it even causes confusion in the people around me too. My personality disorder weighs me down every day, it causes me to see the people I love in a completely different light. My anxiety disorder is drowning, it has caused a halt in my social skills and friendships. It has made me too afraid to go outside around people.

I have very destructive behaviors I just can't seem to get out of. And my recovery doesn't feel like recovery, it feels like I'm just not ready yet. I'm not walking forward on a treadmill—I'm running up the steepest and tallest mountain. There are people in my life can't grasp the mental trauma I'm dealing with, ones who even go so far to deny the severity of it. And for the people who DO understand that what I deal with is distressing; they have their own struggles. I often feel alone.

There are other disorders I have outside of the ones I specified, I haven't said them outright because I don't feel the need to. I just explained some bits from some of the ones I have. I never expected the first time(?) I open up more about my mental health like this would be on a My Little Pony forum pfft. I'm very grateful people here seem to be open to this discussion. ^^

Like some others have said, I'm willing to answer any questions anyone has so feel free to ask. And keep doing what you can to support mentally ill/disabled individuals!

[River Rush 19]

Taking care of ones mental health is an up most importance. Over my time and through my jobs and circumstances of life, I've been diagnosed with Moderate PTSD. I've also been told of Hyperventilates and Anxiety, and Depression. While some may not appreciate and/or like my past and current occupations that gave me this mental health issues, I'm okay with that as I live my life to do right by everyone I come across. I've found that since I've joined this forum (Yesterday haha), I feel as if I have a place to come and vent or appreciate something I just started to get into (MLP).

I try to make the best of a persons worst day (If possible) in hopes that I can help them; even if it's a slight fraction of a chance, not to experience trauma. I'm a firm believer that talking about ones Mental Health is important, and two opposites can connect with the discussion of Mental Health. 

 

(Trauma Bonding is real)

[Lnx1ynight16 1,788]

Give hugs to everypony here 

╰(*´︶`*)╯❤️‍🩹

[papermare 65]

i never talk about my mental publicly, like at all, but since this is the mental health thread..

i'm bipolar, and have BPD (borderline personality disorder) and i feel like a lot of people see me as evil, or some sort of monster when they realize i have these disorders.. 
i've been in and out of therapy/behavioral therapy ever since i was a kid, and only recently have been back into therapy/behavioral therapy and have seen a psych. (2022-early this year) 

however, i've gone cold turkey on my meds again because im no longer on the sliding scale for $5 appointments, so i can't afford visits nor the meds. also have no sort of insurance. i've been pretty okay with handling myself since March but i had an episode last night and its concerning me again. can't do anything about it though 

[You 11,231]

Hi, it has been a while since I last visited this place.

Meanwhile I got diagnosed with ADHD this year, at 35 yo. I was in therapy over and over before, but it seems there was some kind of huge bottleneck for me.

I also come with a condition called Sluggish Cognitive Tempo syndrome aka Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS). It isn't quite known and often seen as part of ADHD, and 2 doctors I spoke to never have heard of it. For me, the consequences of it are the inability to make decisions, maybe also take a while to accept things, not being "there in the moment" and not recognizing what is going on. Also, I have really huge issues to uphold a strong will for anything, usually. Sometimes (!) I can get it for a few days, maybe more rarely even weeks, but then it vanishes. Doesn't quite help with solving one's internal issues and conflicts. Also, massive overthinking.

I learned some patterns about myself over the years;

- I get lost in details and don't see the point people make or what is happening

- I am absolutely, absolutely lost to short dopamine kicks. Anything short-term can provide. This is of course most prevalent on the internet, but also applicable IRL, it can be collecting bottle deposit on the way, it can be geocaching, it can be when getting stuff for free. I really have issues sticking to anything long term unless I am getting the structure externally.

- I just can't seem to uphold a daily structure by myself at all. 

- It seems that during conflicts, anything someone throws at me, sticks. People might call me bad things, and I can't reflect that but instead blindly take them for granted - and see myself that way. I think this is why I reacted so harshly in the past, trying to reject that. 

- I am insanely distractable. 

Currently, I try to be less on the computer machine again. Trying to read a bit. Maybe trying to establish a few routines. My issue is I often don't know what I should do instead when I am bored. Also, I assume I might have autism. Late diagnosis kinda sucks on either way, because you fell all through the system, and also they are harder to get. I did have a negative mis-diagnosis of ADHD 9 years prior. I am getting medical drugs now for 2 weeks, but not sure if they will work the way I want them to (Stratera/atomoxicitin). I prefered ritaline/medikinet or elvanse, but my doctors is pretty hesitant towards those.

[Inferno23 36]

I’ve been hiding everything thats been bothering me from everyone because I wasn’t raised to express feelings or be emotional. Can’t tell ya how many times I’d been hit with a belt, fist, etc, and grew up hating where I lived. During my teenage years it only got worse because now my parents were going after each other and I got caught up in the middle of it. There are nights that I’d stay up until I passed out because I was so scared to go to sleep. When I heard about gen 4 mlp in 2011-2012 I gave it a chance and it actually turned into the only escape I could find. I Made art, an oc, and had friends, and for once I felt happy. When the fandom was at its peak I did a practice sketch one day and showed my mother and she told me that she could draw circles around me, and she didn’t know what I wanted out of her, then tossed the page back at me. I was so disappointed I threw away all my folders, and boxes of art,  gave up,  and now I regret it.. if whoever reads this ever has something they love to do then don’t ever listen to those who tell you that you can’t.. don’t ever give up on yourself and your talents. You have a gift and can help so many people who are stuck or feel like they have no way out.

[Iridescent Edge 459]

1 hour ago, Inferno23 said:

I’ve been hiding everything thats been bothering me from everyone because I wasn’t raised to express feelings or be emotional. Can’t tell ya how many times I’d been hit with a belt, fist, etc, and grew up hating where I lived. During my teenage years it only got worse because now my parents were going after each other and I got caught up in the middle of it. There are nights that I’d stay up until I passed out because I was so scared to go to sleep. When I heard about gen 4 mlp in 2011-2012 I gave it a chance and it actually turned into the only escape I could find. I Made art, an oc, and had friends, and for once I felt happy. When the fandom was at its peak I did a practice sketch one day and showed my mother and she told me that she could draw circles around me, and she didn’t know what I wanted out of her, then tossed the page back at me. I was so disappointed I threw away all my folders, and boxes of art,  gave up,  and now I regret it.. if whoever reads this ever has something they love to do then don’t ever listen to those who tell you that you can’t.. don’t ever give up on yourself and your talents. You have a gift and can help so many people who are stuck or feel like they have no way out.

Did you ever get back into drawing?

[Inferno23 36]

Yeah, started back a couple days ago, but I’m depressed because it’s been so long that I've lost a certain rhythm that I used to have. Plus a little voice keeps telling me “what’s the point anymore? The show is done and people have moved on”. I know it’s stupid because I should draw or make art to have fun, but I just longed for recognition that I never got from anybody growing up. It’s too late

[Iridescent Edge 459]

4 minutes ago, Inferno23 said:

Yeah, started back a couple days ago, but I’m depressed because it’s been so long that I've lost a certain rhythm that I used to have. Plus a little voice keeps telling me “what’s the point anymore? The show is done and people have moved on”. I know it’s stupid because I should draw or make art to have fun, but I just longed for recognition that I never got from anybody growing up. It’s too late

If you'd like, maybe you could create a thread in the art gallery to showcase your art.