I have a new mental health diagnosis

Brains can be tricky, with all kinds of input helping to shape us at the same time that we're learning how to shape ourselves.

So, you’ve just received a mental health diagnosis. You may be experiencing a variety of emotions like: 

• Relief to finally have an explanation for your symptoms  

• Upset to have a condition to treat for life 

• Frustrated to have yet another thing to deal with 

• Lost or unsure of what to do to feel well again 

  
  

During my mental health journey, I’ve experienced all of these and then some. Whatever way you’re feeling, it’s worth knowing two things: 1) you’re not alone and 2) you will get through this.   

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 1 in 5 US adults live with a mental health condition. So, if you grew up in the public education system where there’s an average of 20 students per class, chances are you have at least three other classmates embarking on this journey as well.  

So, what do you do now? Well, having actively managed my own mental health for over 12 years here are some tips I’ve learned: 

1. Seek connection  

Having a mental health condition can be an isolating experience. If you’re dealing the tumult of emotional highs and lows, distorted thinking, and/or changing energy levels, it can be difficult to be around others who may not understand or empathize. Or you just might not have it in you to interact with your social circle and broader community when you’re experiencing symptoms. While taking time for yourself can allow for necessary rest and reflection, being able to find your story in the words of others can help with several things:   

1. It can give you hope that your journey has a positive outcome as you listen to the stories of others who thrive and excel with their diagnosis  

2. Connecting with others on your journey can give you tools you hadn’t thought of to help you manage your symptoms  

3. Learning from others can accelerate your understanding of your condition which goes a long way to improving how you cope with it  

4. Forming connections can just be fun! Neurodivergent people, by their nature, see and process the world differently from many others. Being able to learn about alternative ways of viewing life can be an interesting and engaging experience. So, jump on in! 

2. Find the right fit  

Managing a mental health condition is not something to do alone. There are entire professions of people who are there to help you on your journey: psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, social workers, therapists, psychologists. Finding the right fit can sometimes take a few tries, and in all likelihood as you grow and explore, you’ll have to find new ones. Don’t be discouraged! You want to find someone that you have good vibes with, so take the time to do so.  

If you’re wondering where to find mental health professions Psychology Today has a tab called "find a therapist” that can help you search based on criteria like insurance, gender, and specialties. Additionally, websites like Better Help can help you find therapists based on your criteria as well. In this technological age, you can even see providers that will help you manage your medication and symptoms, all virtually! So, take the time to peruse and find a team that works for you.  

3. Be gentle with yourself 

Coping with a mental health condition is not necessarily an easy task. Even with treatment, there can be bad days or weeks. As you learn yourself and your symptoms, you’ll be better able to cope. However, there will be days you don’t want to have to cope. There will be days you just want things to be simple and easy and coping may feel like fighting yourself. There may be days where the best you can do is simply staying safe or taking care of the bare necessities like eating and using the bathroom. Days like these do not make you weak, lazy, or incompetent they’re simply part of the process. Shaming yourself by telling yourself that you’re bad, wrong, or broken only serves to prolong the negative episode. So, if you need time to only watch movies, or just to drink tea, or just to cry...take that time. You deserve gentleness and compassion, and you can start to receive it by giving it to yourself.  

 Takeaways 

Being newly diagnosed can bring up a wide range of emotions. It can be scary, disheartening, relieving, informational, a mix of emotions, or something else entirely. Whatever it brings up for you, you’re allowed to feel your feelings. Just know that there is so much hope. Managing your symptoms is a process but recovery, happiness, and peace are available to you. Don’t fret, you’ll get there.