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My mental health story began two years ago. I had just returned from a difficult deployment and was struggling to cope with the trauma of what I had experienced. As the days progressed, my anxiety increased and soon became debilitating. I was having trouble sleeping, eating, keeping up with my responsibilities at work, and even maintaining relationships with friends and family.
I eventually realized that I was having classic symptoms of PTSD. Seeking help was hard for me because of how personal it felt, but I knew had to take that first step and talk to someone about what I was going through. That conversation changed my life. Soon after, I began attending therapy sessions regularly along with using mindfulness techniques like meditation to help me manage my triggers and anxiety levels.
As time went on, improving my mental health became a priority; one which changed all aspects of my wellbeing – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. My resilience grew as did my sense of hope in myself that things would get better day after day if I took care of myself in proactive ways.
It hasn’t been an easy journey by any means but looking back at where I started from at the beginning has made me realize just how far I have come! No matter how difficult things may seem right now or in the future, believe in yourself – it will make all the difference!