hey. what's up?
i'm struggling with
my mental health * lgbt+ issues * self-care
healing is not linear.
you are doing the best you can. that is enough
i want you to know that as hard as things are right now, nothing is permanent. it's a pretty cliche statement but i promise you this as someone who also struggles with their mental health.
grounding yourself * helplines
dealing with suicidal thoughts
healthy coping mechanisms
if you are having a panic attack
IDENTIFY:
FIVE THINGS YOU CAN SEE
FOUR THINGS YOU CAN HEAR
THREE THINGS YOU CAN FEEL
TWO THINGS YOU CAN SMELL
AND ONE THING YOU CAN TASTE
the quiet place is an interactive website that walks you through a 90 second mindfulness exercise.
these rain sounds might help bring you down to earth
here are some self soothing techniques
I USE this "COLOUR BREATHING" BREATHING EXERCISE
imagine you are breathing in a calming colour - for me this is blue.
hold that breath.
breath out all the bad feelings inside you - for me i breath out orange feelings
keep repeating
you can search any of the below numbers to find the organization that runs them.
INTERNATIONAL suicide hotline list
USA. eating disorder helpline - (800) 931-2237
CDN. eating disorder helpline - 1-866-NEDIC-20
USA. panic disorder info - 1-800-64-PANIC (72642)
USA. suicide prevention lifeline - 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
U.K. anxiety helpline - 03444 775 774
U.K. panic attack & ocd helpline - 0844 967 4848
if you can't access help this way, please try and talk to someone you trust or look at alternatives to self harm.
YOU MATTER.
your situation is temporary
do not feel guilty for feeling suicidal. if you have people you trust- reach out to them. the best support system is talking to other people. if you don't or don't want to, there are still other ways you can take care of yourself.
alternatives to self harm 1 & 2 * distracting your mind
being lgbt can be hard. but who you are is beautiful.
trans affirmations * questioning your identity
dealing with gender dysphoria
YOU ARE TRANS ENOUGH.
tw - body mention
you understand your identity best
the pronouns and name you use deserves to be respected
you do not need to define your identity to fit cis ideals
you do not need to medically transition to be trans
your relationship with your body is yours and yours only
you do not need to fit in a binary
there is no right or wrong female, male or non-binary body
questioning your identity is okay. there is no time limit on how long you can take to figure yourself out. you don't ever have to label yourself if you don't want to. your community will welcome you with open arms.
crowdsourced lgbt dictionary * am i a lesbian?
info on being non binary * trans faq
whats a neo pronoun? * whats a xenogender?
non-binary lesbians * bisexual vs pansexual
info carrd on bisexuality
theres no way around this one. dysphoria is hard. but there are ways to help soothe it.
general dysphoria tips * huge master list of info + tips
non-binary asmr affirmation video playlist
pronoun dressing room website
self-care is taking time to do what makes you happy
it doesn't have to be a full on spa day at home- it could be sitting down and reading that book you've been looking forward to getting into. maybe baking a loaf of banana bread or watching your favourite movie.
ideas for self care
- listen to a calming playlist
- listen to energetic music and dance!
- take deep breaths
- do a face mask
- make a list of things you have to do
- clean your room or a part of it
- rearrange the furniture for a burst of new life
- bake or cook something new
- do some gentle stretching
+ more ideas 1 & 2