Dealing With The Lows

Today, I think I am going to take a moment and write a therapy post in the blog, and just take a minute to express myself a little. If you or someone you know is going through mental health challenges at the moment, please know that you are not alone and that there will be always someone to talk to if you need some help.

I, much like many others in this world, go through cycles of ups and downs, highs and lows. Sometimes, it feels like this roller coaster is inevitable, much like the metaphorical steel tracks that would force a real coaster carriage down the track in a very calculated and deliberate manner. Everything feels predetermined all before you step on the ride, down to the very last bump. I’m not going to lie to you and say there’s a way to avoid feeling down forever, there are always going to be some things that will come your way that put you into bad places, but there are also ways to help mitigate those problems.

I live in Toronto, and as any young person in Toronto knows, doing anything in this city to put a roof over your head is challenging even in the best scenarios. It sometimes feels like no matter what I do or how I approach setting myself towards an appropriate path, the finish line will always keep moving, the goal posts on a constant march away from me. Some days I can see them getting closer, and other times I watch as they zoom away into the sunset, but no matter what, I never seem to get there.

This has been a minor strain on my relationship of over four years, where it feels like we can’t do anything for ourselves to get ahead. One of our goals has been to take a crack at living together to see how we would fare in our own home, but that seems like a reasonable goal for people like my parents or my grandparents, rather than this generation.

This is but one of the things that can weigh on my mind from day to day, and sometimes just the act of sorting through your issues can in itself feel like a daunting task. Mental load is a big deal, and anyone who has had a lot on their plate at once can attest to how heavy it can feel. Although I am aware of some of the strategies for dealing with this, I can also fall victim to it sometimes when you feel too tired to even employ the strategies used to help you.

I recognize that I may have just gone on a little bit of a rant here rather than giving you much substance this week, but that in itself is an important strategy to learn. Sometimes just letting out some of your frustrations with a close friend you know will listen to you can make all the difference. It doesn’t even matter sometimes if the person is listening, just the act of saying it out loud can feel as though you no longer have to hold onto it so tightly and it can take the weight off your shoulders.

Whatever is bothering you, it’s important to talk about it. There are always people who are there to listen.