Give your mental illness a “name” and write a letter to it
I came across this concept while I was looking for ways to make myself feel more powerful and in-control. One thing I hate the most about my mental illness is that it controls my thoughts. It controls me. I wanted to engage in an activity where I can express these feelings inside of me in a beneficial way. This might feel weird for you at first, but I promise you will realize so much more about yourself and your mental illness.
Here are some starting points:
When did things start?
How does it make you feel?
Why do you hate it? What troubles has it caused you?
How are you going to “leave” (stop or take control of the behavior)?
How are you going to feel when you leave it behind?
What have you learned from it?
Has is caused you to reevaluate yourself in anyway?
Another important thing to keep in mind is incorporating your voice into the letter and acting venting all of your feelings on to the paper. Be mean and aggressive. Get it all out.
Also, If you start to separate yourself from your mental illness, you will realize how you can start to control it, and identify when it hits you worst. You can coach yourself through these difficult times, and it’s calming to know that your mental illness doesn’t define you.
I added some examples of letters that people have written to their mental illness. I hope all of this gives you a good starting point in bettering yourself and a step closer to building more strength and courage.
