Coping with Mental Illness: Winning Your Most Personal Battle

Many people are quick to thank our servicemen and women for their time in the military, but not everyone considers what that time may have cost them—and, more importantly, what it continues to cost our veterans after they return to civilian life.

The truth is, life in the military is hard on both the body and the mind, and it can leave wounds, both visible and invisible, that take years to heal.

As a result, many veterans are left to deal with mental illnesses that can be difficult to overcome on their own. 

Table of Contents

• Veterans and Mental Health
• 1. Coming to Terms with Your Situation
• 2. Dive Into Hobbies
• 3. Seek Treatment
• 4. Do Your Best to Not Compare Yourself to Others
• 5. Talk about Your Feelings
• 6. Stay Active
  • Medical Evidence Wins VA Claims

Veterans and Mental Health

Treatment for mental illness isn’t always finite; many mental health conditions are chronic and ongoing – some may even last a lifetime. As a result, living a healthy life with a mental health challenge is about understanding and incorporating the right coping mechanisms into your day-to-day routine. 

The good news is, it’s still possible to lead a fulfilling, productive life in spite of psychological challenges. Despite your limitations or personal struggles, you can still overcome your most personal mental health battles.

At Telemedica, we know how challenging this journey can be. Many of us are veterans ourselves, and have dealt with mental health battles of our own. We’ve been where you are, and we’re here to help. Keep reading for our six recommendations for coping with mental health challenges in your day to day life. 

1. Coming to Terms with Your Situation

Our struggles are part of the human experience. Accepting your situation requires letting go of judgments about yourself and your mental illness. Do this by educating yourself about your mental illness and connecting with individuals dealing with the same condition. This can help you overcome self-judgment and find ways to cope with the illness head-on. 

2. Dive Into Hobbies

Whether that’s cooking, playing chess, or embellishing a room with a new coat of paint, doing what makes you feel good can be wonderful for your mental health. Adopting a new hobby can give a boost of self-confidence and can help you get through tough times a bit easier. 

If you feel comfortable, consider engaging in activities with friends and family. This can encourage you to continuously keep in touch with loved ones—relationships that are crucial to improving your mental health. 

The most popular hobbies for veterans who are coping with stress include: 

• Creative art
• Music 
• Running
• Gardening
• Camping

3. Seek Treatment

Mental illnesses can often be chronic and ongoing treatment may be required. It takes a lot of strength and courage to ask for help – it is important to remember that your value as a person does not diminish because you have a mental health condition or if you seek help. Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health. Mental health concerns are real struggles, not signs of weakness or moral failings. 

Just got the rating today for my mental health claim at 70%!! My psych provider’s IMO was the key for success and it was my only evidence provided to the VA!! Will definitely use you guys again and will refer to other veterans!!

Sparking a discussion with a health professional about your mental illness to find ways to cope with your condition is a great place to start. Whether this involves medicine, therapy, diet and lifestyle changes, or some other form of treatment, your health care provider or therapist can help you create a long-term plan that will be beneficial for you and your lifestyle.

A great way to track your progress with a new regimen or medication (as recommended by your therapist or health care professional) is to keep a log of how you’re feeling from day to day. Keeping a journal can help you identify if a treatment is working well, and it can assist you in monitoring your progress, behavior, and mood. 

Keep in mind that the path to mental wellbeing is not a one-size-fits-all process. Mental health treatments can be as individual and unique as the person that they’re intended for. There are many options to choose from so don’t be afraid to try a few different treatment styles before you find the one that fits best for you. 

4. Do Your Best to Not Compare Yourself to Others

Since mental health treatment is different for everyone, it’s important to not compare your own mental health journey to that of someone else’s. Everyone grows and heals at their own pace, and we all have different reasons for seeking out mental health care. The most important thing to remember is to give yourself grace and go easy on yourself – healing is not always linear and can take time. Celebrate the small victories and focus on doing the next right thing for you.

5. Talk about Your Feelings

Regularly check in with yourself and express what you’re feeling and thinking – either with a trusted friend of family member or a therapist. Expressing emotions is a sign of strength, not weakness, and walking through your thoughts and feelings can have a profound impact on your mental health. 

Your experiences are real, and they deserve to be validated; both by yourself and by those you surround yourself with. 

A few ways you can express your emotions is by:

• Talking to a trusted friend or family member: Bottling up your feelings can put physical stress on the body, produce feelings of isolation, and promote unhealthy coping mechanisms. Sit down with or call a trusted friend or family member regularly. Simply having them listen can help you feel more at ease. As you let go of some emotions, this can create space for more positive feelings.
• Writing in a journal: Journaling is a healthy way to explore your thoughts and let go of negative thought patterns and unwanted feelings. Don’t overthink your entries—just write whatever comes to mind. You may also want to write out words of affirmation to help you stay positive and focused. 

6. Stay Active

Taking time to get some form of physical activity each day can be highly beneficial.

Start slow, if needed. You might begin by taking a stroll through your local park for 15 minutes. When you feel comfortable enough, increase the duration to 30 minutes. 

If one activity starts to feel dull or repetitive, switch to a new one, or begin diversifying your exercise routine. Or, consider listening to podcasts or audiobooks to keep yourself mentally engaged during activities. You can also bring someone along with you, both to enjoy pleasant conversation and to keep yourself accountable.

The goal of staying active should be to move your body, get some sunshine, and get the blood flowing. Being active can help you feel better in mind, body, and spirit.

Medical Evidence Wins VA Claims

If you are a veteran dealing with mental illness, schedule a Telemedica evaluation. Our team at Telemedica offers psych evaluations through telehealth appointments. We offer Nexus Letters, Mental Health Evaluations, and Telemedicine Evaluations (first-time diagnoses) so veterans can receive the VA benefits and compensation they deserve and take another step forward on their path to mental and physical wellbeing.

Table of Contents

• 1. Listen to Your Emotions
  • How to Help a Family Member with Mental Illness
• 2. Look After Yourself
• 3. Reach out to Someone You Trust
• 4. Find Resources to Help You Cope
  • Support Groups
• Don’t Give Up
• Seek Help Today

Veterans and their families are no strangers to loss, but the most devastating losses are the ones that feel like they could have been prevented. Often, when a loved one takes their life, those close to them feel personally responsible—that if only they had known how hard their loved one was struggling, or if they had only done more to help them, they will still be around.

Grief is difficult to handle under the best of circumstances, but survivor’s guilt can make the pain unbearable.

At Telemedica, we hope that no one has to face these difficult feelings and experiences without help. That’s why we’ve put together this post explaining how to cope with the suicide of a loved one. As navigating through the time after a loss can feel overwhelming, we hope these recommendations will help you find your path to healing.

1. Listen to Your Emotions

How to Help a Family Member with Mental Illness

Instead of avoiding, ignoring, or otherwise “bottling up” these feelings, pay attention to them and accept them. They will come and go throughout your journey of healing, and working through them can help you heal.

These emotions may include one or more of the following: 

• Shock: Feelings of numbness or detachment from reality are common responses to loss.
• Denial: You may refuse to accept your loved one’s death. This may change over time as you acquire more information. 
• Guilt: Feelings of guilt are common, especially when the loss is a suicide. It’s natural to blame yourself, rather than accepting that some things are out of your control.
• Sadness: Memories and reminders of the loved one can trigger sadness, hopelessness, and bitterness.
• Anger: It’s common to feel a sense of abandonment, and a resentment to either the person you’ve lost or the circumstances of that loss. Those emotions often express themselves as anger, and can be directed at any number of points both internal and external.
• Confusion: There will likely be unanswered questions, which may compel you to try and make sense of the situation, even when there’s little that’s logical about the loss.

2. Look After Yourself

Every person is different, so take your time, and don’t expect recovery to meet some kind of deadline. 

Take note and respect your boundaries by:

Not rushing yourself: Do what is right for you. Do not feel inclined to do something for someone else’s sake. It’s essential to listen to your mind and body at this time and do what is comfortable. For example, if you don’t feel ready to visit the gravesite of your loved one, it’s okay to wait until you are ready.

Grieving in your own way. Some days will be better than others, and this is okay. Healing after the suicide of a loved one is not a linear path. There will be roadblocks that cause emotions to resurface, making you feel like you’ve slipped backward in your healing journey. Whatever happens, be patient with yourself. Instead of feeling frustrated, acknowledge that this is all part of the healing process and give yourself grace.

Taking the time to focus on you. It can feel impossible to make room for yourself when you’re consumed with loss and grief. Carve out time each day to eat well, take a walk, get a healthy amount of sleep, and do other things that constitute healthy self care for you. Just remember that too much of any self care tactic can be counter productive, so keep things in balance.

3. Reach out to Someone You Trust

That’s why it helps to talk to someone you trust. Connecting with others can help you feel less isolated, assure you that others share your pain, and remind you that there are people who will always be there for you. 

Make sure that you share your feelings with someone who will be supportive, and who will encourage healthy coping habits (and discourage unhealthy ones). If people who meet those standards seem to be in short supply in your life, consider reaching out to a licensed counselor or therapist. 

Not only will such a professional offer an optimistic and objective outside perspective, they will have experience and training assisting people through difficult experiences like yours. You may even find that they provide you with the tools needed to heal from emotional wounds you weren’t even aware of before the loss.

And lastly, if you are not ready to talk to people, that’s okay too. You may still find comfort in spending time with close family and friends, even if you don’t talk about the loss, or don’t talk about anything at all. Sometimes, it can help to simply have a shoulder to lean on. 

4. Find Resources to Help You Cope

It can also make it challenging to acknowledge your emotions and authentically communicate those feelings. 

Rest assured, there are resources to help you grieve in your own way and feel better supported during this time. 

Support Groups

• Alliance of Hope for Suicide Survivors: Nonprofit organization Alliance of Hope aims to offer support resources on survivor experience. Some of their services entail guides on how to cope with suicide, online forums, and consultations with loss professionals. 
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP): The AFSP has a local chapter in all 50 states. They connect those who have lost loved ones to suicide and those struggling with suicidal ideation to local support groups and outreach programs. 
• VA Office of Survivors Assistance: The VA offers resources for survivors and dependents of deceased Veterans and service members. Some of these resources include bereavement and readjustment counseling. 
• Stop Soldier Suicide: Stop Soldier Suicide leads the fight against veteran suicide. They offer support to veterans who are struggling after their time in the service. If you are interested in helping veterans, learn about how you can support the organization. 

Don’t Give Up

If you are experiencing these same feelings, please seek help.

Loss is painful, but there is always hope that things can get better over time. Your life has value, especially to those that love you, and the loss of even a single member of any community is a tragedy. 

Just take everything one day at a time; no storm can last forever. 

Seek Help Today

We understand life may seem difficult at the moment, but rest assured, it will get easier with time. You are not alone, and you don’t have to face these challenges on your own. And if you are in need of support, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We can point you toward the right resources, and help you access the benefits you need. 

Table of Contents

• More than a Downer Mood: How to Recognize Depression in Yourself
  • 1. Loss of Interest in Activities
  • 2. Changes In Sleep
  • 3. Loss of Energy
  • 4. Sustained Self-loathing
  • 5. Appetite or Weight Changes
  • Get Help Today

More than a Downer Mood: How to Recognize Depression in Yourself

Some people may casually say they’re feeling depressed when they have a rough day or feel down, but clinical depression goes deeper than that. Depression can slowly dampen many aspects of your life, and you might not even notice it yourself. 

Depression isn’t just a mood; it’s a persistent illness—one that can sneak up on you and overwhelm you before you even realize something is amiss. In fact, it’s common for patients living with depression to minimize or disregard their symptoms, assuming it’s something they can just push through. The truth is that depression can worsen over time if left untreated, and can make everyday tasks and routines more challenging. 

Due to the fact that depression is often overlooked by those living with this mental illness, you might be wondering, “Do I have depression?” or even “How do I know if I have depression?”

Here we cover the five major symptoms of depression so you can know how to recognize depression in yourself, and seek out professional help for this serious condition.

1. Loss of Interest in Activities

Should you suddenly find yourself actively avoiding things that used to bring you excitement and satisfaction—be that hobbies, social activities, entertainment, sex, or otherwise—you may be experiencing anhedonia, a sign that your neurochemistry has changed and the pleasure centers of your brain are being hijacked by depression. 

2. Changes In Sleep

A single incident of unusual sleep patterns is not necessarily a cause for concern. But, just like loss of interest in activities, when uncharacteristic sleep habits persist, it’s not something to be overlooked. 

Depression can significantly alter your sleep schedule in either direction. You may notice you’re having difficulty sleeping, or that you sleep much longer than before. Or worse, you deal with both: struggling against insomnia during normal rest hours, and struggling to stay awake during your normal active periods.  

Inconsistent sleep patterns  can be hard to measure over long periods of time, and it’s easy to forget how well you slept over the past several weeks if you don’t write it down. So, if you’re worried you may be dealing with ongoing sleep issues, try tracking it with a sleep log, and be as accurate as possible. 

3. Loss of Energy

Even with a perfect sleep schedule and diet, depression can drain your energy levels. Trying to do simple tasks, like bathing, folding laundry, or doing the dishes, will feel like climbing Mt. Everest. A complete lack of energy is a strong sign you could be experiencing a major depressive episode. 

4. Sustained Self-loathing

It’s normal to feel like kicking yourself for mistakes like this. Most of the time, however, these feelings fade in short order, and life returns to normal.

It only becomes a problem when you can’t make these feelings “leave you alone.”

Self-loathing is the irrational and sustained harsh criticism of oneself. Even if your entire week went exactly as planned, the story you’re telling yourself is one of low self-esteem and self-worth. When this happens, your internal monologue becomes increasingly negative because of your perceived imperfection. 

Those feelings aren’t a reflection of your actual worth, but they can feel very real, and they could be a sign of a developing or worsening  depression.

5. Appetite or Weight Changes

Depression can also trigger a loss of appetite. In the same way you might lose interest in hobbies and pastimes, you may find that eating just doesn’t appeal to you (and you may even find yourself missing meals by accident). In some cases, you’ll skip meals because the idea of eating is nauseating. 

If it becomes a chore to eat, it might be a sign you’re dealing with depression. More specifically, gaining or losing more than 5% of your body weight in a month unintentionally can be a sign of depression.

Get Help Today

Now that you have a better understanding of  how to recognize depression in yourself, it’s important to seek professional help. Awareness is the first step and you don’t have to fight depression alone. 

Depression will try to convince you that you’re alone in your mental health struggles, but don’t let your mind deceive you.

Your life matters and there are people waiting to help. Talk to compassionate and trustworthy friends and family members, and seek professional help if these signs and symptoms of depression have been lasting longer than a month. The outlook may look bleak now, but this is a fight you can win, and you don’t have to do it alone. 

For more information and resources on how to recognize depression in yourself, how to cope with depression, or to seek mental health help from a licensed professional, visit the online resource Mental Health First Aid (from The National Council for Mental Wellbeing). 

For additional help, veterans can contact Telemedica for a Mental Health Evaluation by clicking here.

Table of Contents

• How to Talk about Mental Health
  • How to Help a Family Member with Mental Illness
• How to Help a Family Member with Mental Illness
• How to Tell Someone About Your Mental Health

In the past, if someone was living with a mental illness, they probably didn’t talk about it, and might have had trouble seeking out proper mental health care. More than likely, they kept it buried deep inside, didn’t confide in anyone, and did their best to suffer through it without help. Thankfully, that’s not the world we live in today. 

Now, discussions about mental health are more open, honest, and liberating than they’ve ever been before. The world is coming to realize that many people deal with anxiety, depression, and other similar conditions, and we’re learning how to talk about mental health, how to help one another through our struggles, and how to live with mental illness.

But, that’s the key factor: we’re learning. When it comes to the mental health conversation, there’s still a lot of room for improvement, but the first step in figuring out how to talk about new things is to just start talking. 

So, if you’re wondering how to help a family member with mental illness, you’re in the right place. This post will help prepare you for candid discussions about mental illness, and how to support those who struggle with mental health (even if that person is you).  

How to Talk about Mental Health

How to Help a Family Member with Mental Illness

If you need to talk about your mental health struggles with someone, make sure to carve out some time to do so. These conversations need to be heartfelt, genuine, and unrushed. Set aside an appropriate amount of time. We recommend at least 30 to 60 minutes. 

Be as open and honest as you can be. Whether you’re the one listening, the one sharing, or a combination of both, one of the best ways to discuss topics you’re unfamiliar with is simply to be transparent about the things you don’t currently understand. Then, if you’re the one listening to a loved one’s struggles, be clear about how you want to understand it as best you can.

Keep the conversation open. Talking about mental health doesn’t have to end when your time’s up—you can always continue the conversation at another time. These discussions should be an open-ended opportunity to continue to learn about these difficult (and often painful) mental health challenges. 

How to Help a Family Member with Mental Illness

Encourage Them to Seek Help: If it seems that your loved one is dealing with something related to mental health, try to have a conversation about it that encourages them to seek help and find out if something is going on. 

Accept the Emotions You and They Are Feeling: Being diagnosed with a mental illness can be a trying time for those who are coping with the diagnosis and the loved ones of the diagnosed individual—accept that you’re both likely feeling a lot of different emotions and will need time and patience to sort through them. 

Discuss Finding Peer Support Groups: You can’t take on caring for your family member all by yourself, and it’s likely you don’t know exactly how to empathize with their experiences. Suggest support groups with peers who’ve experienced the same thing they’re going through.

Be a Balanced Support: Support them in any way you can. This can be anything from giving them sincere compliments, to taking them out to lunch, to helping them tidy up their home. This will get easier as time goes on and as you both learn about which areas they’re struggling in most. 

Avoid trying to be the hero or savior to a family member with mental illness. It’s important not to try to fix them, ask them to pretend to be ok, or downplay how serious their problems are. It’s also important to not give false “encouragement” by telling them it will be over soon, or that a given remedy will solve their problem.

It can be difficult to show support without using toxic positivity or downplaying the severity of their condition. When in doubt, though, you can always validate their feelings, and remind them how much you care about them. 

How to Tell Someone About Your Mental Health

Start by choosing people who genuinely care for you—such as people who have supported you through other hardships. If they’ve been understanding of other difficulties you’ve suffered through (especially if they were emotional difficulties, such as grief), that’s a good sign that they’ll be willing to learn about your struggles.

Next, consider how open-minded and willing they are when it comes to understanding another’s perspective. Typically, people who have /dealt with painful emotions or mental struggles of their own tend to be more empathetic to the emotional needs of others. Be direct about your need to confide in them. Ask them for a dedicated time where you can explain what you’re feeling and, if necessary, ask them to reserve judgment and just listen to your story. 

It may take time to find those people who will show you the support you need, and some may take a little coaching to recognize what’s helpful and what’s not, but as we all open up in healthy ways and begin the discussion, it will become easier and easier to talk about mental illness, and easier for those friends to help us. 

Below are some suggestions to help you figure out how to tell someone about your mental health:

Write it Down: Write down a list of what you want to tell the person. 

Find Sources: Research articles and informative websites that can help explain what you’re going to talk about. 

Plan It: Try to set up a scheduled time where you can sit down and discuss it without distractions.

There are many ways to talk about mental health, whether you’re trying to figure out how to talk about mental health in general, learning how to tell someone about your mental health, or searching for ways to help a family member with mental illness. Each of these topics is interrelated, and the more you practice one, the better you’ll become at all of them. Engaging through active listening, empathy, and understanding can help when learning how to help a family member with mental illness.

*If you or a loved one is struggling with mental health contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association (800-662-4357) or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255) today.