I've been interested in cars all my life. If you buy a standard car and as a younger person you want to modify it to perform "better", you can- stiffen the suspension...that will give you a harsher ride, a louder exhaust will give you a little more power with the tradeoff of a headache, bigger wheels and tyres that will make your speedo go out of whack...and so on. There is always a tradeoff with modifications.

Mental illness, the treatment of it is not any different. At the height of my emotional roller coaster mid 20's I headed for the hills. Fed up with battling society, people, abuse, violence etc. That kneejerk action came with ramifications. Was I going to survive living in a tent? how long for? when I run out of money I wont be able to purchase bare essentials like toothpaste, soap, food!! After 3 visits to the bush, all failed in their plan, I realised I needed to review my life. What is the balance?

I knew I needed society. Perhaps the balance is being on the fringe of it? Could I suck out of society my basic needs then give back when I had the capability (like now as a champion here)?

The fact is that every challenge put up to me by my illnesses there was a balance I could find that allowed me to survive happily. Like-

• Employment- Unhappy with working for a boss I developed a goal of working for myself. A long time goal once achieved I survived to 57yo as my own boss until I could no longer work anymore...an extra 18 years
• Clubs- Any organisation can be a threat with personalities and intolerance. I made rules, not volunteer for any committees, dont buy the town newspaper or get involved with politics.
• Acquaintances- If a neighbour I dont get along with passes by, I be cordial but limit any conversation to a maximum of 1-2 minutes even less.
• For me living in a country town about 4000 people is the balance. Enough people so it provides hospital, supermarket etc, not enough people to be impersonal.
• Medical attention- There's a balance between getting the best help you need and living life. This is a tough one to mention as we are all different but in my case I decided there is some areas of my health I would accept totally and stop worrying about it. Blood tests for thinners/diabetes, chiro care for neck issues and so forth. The key here is the word "worry", I have enough of that with my mental challenges.

You get the idea- balancing your life with these major things can result in some happiness. Prioritize for YOU.

What do you think?

TonyWK

hi Tony I agree with u -

finding the balance when coping with mental health seems crucial

Still working on it myself but interested to hear others' experience on this issue.
Mental, financial, emotional, physical stregnth and success - all seem like an act at times... some things we have to not focus on for a little bit

Hello TonyWK,

I completely agree with what you have said. Setting goals and rules for ourselves are a way for us to look after us, because we're first and foremost responsible for ourselves after all. I'm still looking for that balance as well, but I think I'm making small steps towards it and that keeps me happy.

That brings me to my greatest priority of late - happiness over anything else. I've always been that person who'd agonize over the little things, until I decided to pick my battles wisely. I've been far happier doing that since it takes a huge amount of worry off my shoulders. Sure, I have moments when I go back to worrying about everything and anything at all, but overall, I think it's a good priority to have and to work towards.

Cheers,
M

Tony

thanks for this thread.

I have tried hard this year to find a balance. I haven’t been able to travel more than 90 minutes this year fir various reasons but others find it hard to understand. One day I will go further . Sometimes I push myself but at other times it is hard. I find I need to volunteer as that helps me.