Music to Get You Through

Life can be really hard sometimes, especially if you deal with a mental health issue. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to have someone to talk to-your therapist is seeing other patients, your friend has her own issues, you don't feel comfortable reaching out to your parents...

There are things you can do on your own to feel better. You can discharge your feelings in a journal. You can meditate or do grounding exercises. You can take it "minute by minute", telling yourself you will be okay with every second that passes.

Music is probably my favorite way to cope. A good comfort song will wrap you in the artist's embrace as s/he empathizes with and encourages you. Music has gotten me through many difficult nights.

I've decided to compile an organized list of ten songs that have helped me. Here it is:

For when you need comfort:

-Iridescent-Linkin Park

-Illusion-VNV Nation

-This is to Mother You-Sinead O'Connor

-You Can't Always Get What You Want-Rolling Stones

-After the World-Disciple

-The Last Night-Skillet

For when you need hope:

-Here Comes the Sun-Beatles

-Stronger-Kelly Clarkson

For when you need to be told to hold on:

-Lullaby-Nickleback 

-Beauty Through Pain- Superchick

I hope that this lists helps someone. Life sometimes feels like one crisis after another, and we need as many coping resources as we can get.

What are your favorite songs to listen to when you're hurting? Comment below.

On Doing the Impossible

I thought that today we would reflect on some ancient inspirational advice.

"Start by doing what is necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible"-St Francis of Assisi

St. Francis lived in the 13th century, and he believed he had an impossible mission. When he was a young man, he went off to battle against the Perugians, who were major rivals of his people, the Assisians. He was captured by the Perugians and became their prisoner for a year; during this time, he fell ill. While sick, he encountered God in a dream. From that time forth, he embarked on a journey to do something amazing and difficult-God's will. He became an evangelist and an advocate for the poor.

I believe that we all have been given special missions to complete-a purpose for our lives. I have spent time curiously wondering what my purpose might be, and while I can't be certain yet what exactly I'm supposed to be doing, I think it involves communicating the inherent infinite worth and equality of all people to all people.

What is your mission in life? Maybe it is something similar, to show people how valuable they are in the eyes of God. Maybe it is to give your kids a decent start in life, or to leave your mark on the world through a high-powered career.

Life missions are difficult tasks for anyone, but for someone with a mental illness they can seem impossible. Someone suffering from depression may barely be able to feed himself, let alone solve the problem of world hunger!

As someone who deals with avolition (lack of motivation), it can be difficult for me to accomplish what I set out to do. I have thought a lot about how I can engineer my life to work around my motivation deficit, and I have found some strategies that help-making lists, developing good habits, making chores as enjoyable as possible. These strategies only work on good days, however.

How can we be effective individuals in our occupational, social, and spiritual lives while dealing with symptoms? Perhaps we should start by doing what is necessary. If you have terrible social anxiety, force yourself to interact with your classmates on the group project you were assigned. Then do what is possible; see if you can attend that party for just one hour. Finally, branch into the impossible. Transcend your fears and become part of a social world that is infinitely larger than yourself. Connect and interact with friends and strangers alike to cooperatively create a more welcoming, accepting world that is less anxiety-provoking.

"Nothing is impossible; the word itself says I'm possible'!"-Audrey Hepburn

We're back...with a plan

Hello my brave, dedicated Phoenixes,

Phoenix Rising has risen from the ashes of its stagnation (now that I have finished with school and can dedicate more of my time) and we are ready to change the world once again.

I started this organization almost exactly a year ago with the following goal:

Our mission: to start a dialog on social challenges (homelessness, loneliness, mental illness, and addiction) and to spread hope. 

This lofty goal is still the ultimate aim for Phoenix Rising, though we have decided to attack it a little more gently. Rather than trying to spark conversation on all social challenges all at once, we have decided to begin with just mental health. This is just for now; as we grow, we will immerse ourselves in a larger dialog on marginalization and privilege.

Here are some of our upcoming plans:

1). Update this blog more frequently-we are aiming for about one post per week that will hopefully inspire and intrigue you. You should also expect updates on what the organization is doing. You may be wondering what happened to our old blog; unfortunately, it was deleted. You can find the archives here: http://phoenixdialog.blogspot.com/2014_10_01_archive.html

If you are interested in contributing to the blog, either regularly or just to write one post, you may contact me at: bipolarconversations@gmail.com

2). Make more videos-mental health topics planned include information on anxiety, depression, and psychosis, techniques on how to cope with symptoms, ideas of how to deal with stigma, and ways to help a loved one with mental health issues. Our YouTube channel can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSbFmLYoAL60iA6juLXXa2Q

3). Create a cultural newsletter, to be published once a month (initially), for people who deal with mental health issues. The newsletter will include info on recent developments in mental health research, book reviews, creative fiction, and poetry. We are currently looking for people coping with mental illness to contribute to this effort through writing and/or art.

4). Publish an e-book series which I am writing. The first book will be entitled Diagnosis, and features a young woman who has recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The story follows her as she makes friends with other patients, learns about the imperfections in the mental healthcare system, discovers that she has superpowers (yes, superpowers! She can travel through mirrors and directly observe other people's mental activity), and ultimately decides to change the way people with mental illness are perceived and treated herself, with the help of her new-found friends. Updates on the book, along with excerpts, will be made available in future posts.

Thank you very much for continuing to follow us. If you are new, welcome!

Also, check out our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/affjerf?ref=aymt_homepage_panel.

<3 Minerva