Deciding to seek help for anxiety so you can take back your life but then being unable to find help for anxiety is incredibly frustrating  (Types of Mental Health Doctors and How to Find One). For a variety of reasons, such as insurance problems, lack of qualified mental health professionals in an area, difficulty getting or keeping appointments, and more, mental health help isn’t always readily available. While ideally everyone would be able to receive medical and therapeutic help for anxiety, doing so isn’t necessary to treat and manage anxiety. There are things you can do when you can’t find help for anxiety. 

Binge-watching television while coping with depression doesn't mix. I’ve been watching episode after episode of Shameless on Netflix this week and it’s been messing with my ability to cope with my depression. While I can easily excuse watching multiple episodes of a show in a row by calling it creative stimulation or a pleasant distraction from my mental health challenges, it’s a bad idea. Binge-watching TV stops me from moving around and accomplishing things and it works me up emotionally. I usually end up more depressed after binge-watching TV than if I have done something else. When I cope with depression, I try not to binge-watch television.

In life, and in your eating disorder recovery, you are the constant. Let’s be honest, when we have an eating disorder, recovery feels like the most daunting path we face. There are reasons the eating disorder started; therefore, recovery is a process of exploring little black holes, and learning the skill sets we missed. Recovery can feel as though it depends on so many external things. Will we get into a good recovery program? Will it be covered by health insurance? Will we find a therapist who helps us move forward? Recovery can feel as though it’s based on a slew of external decisions, and we’re simply a bystander. However, the reality is that we are the constant in eating disorder recovery We are the most important factor.

Nothing has challenged my journey with bipolar 1 disorder more than when my family has undermined my mental health plan. Not only must I continue my full-time battle of self-care and adjustment (Mothering with an Invisible Mental Illness), I must also work overtime to address the vicious words of family members that infect my mind and impede my wellness. After 15 years of living with bipolar 1 disorder, I have learned that when family members attack my mental health wellness plan, I must readjust my definition of family in order to stay well.

Journal prompts make it easier to journal consistently, but I haven't been using them. It came to my attention while I was sitting in the waiting room before my therapist appointment. A million thoughts raced through my head. "So many things have happened since my last visit. Where did we leave off last time? What do I say?" Across from me, another patient held a journal. When I saw it, I realized what I'd been missing. I didn't have a record about events that triggered my depression and anxiety. Having a written record of moods, events, and triggers would have been really helpful at that time. I know journaling strengthens my mental health and journal prompts can help facilitate this. Here is an easy journal prompt that you can use for your mental health.

Trying to control what is out of your control just doesn't work. I’m beginning to see a familiar pattern emerging in my behavior (6 Ways to Change Your Thoughts). My constant list-making (and checking off list items), my impatience, and my wanting other people to do things the way I want them done seem to be constant. These all stem from my desire to control various aspects of my life. In effect, I'm trying to control what is out of my control.

The new year made me realize it would be a good idea to write about how to self-diagnose an alcohol addiction. While only a professional can make a formal diagnosis, awareness of your drinking habits and any problems that arise from drinking can help you seek treatment (Identifying and Diagnosing Alcoholism). Here's how to self-diagnose an alcohol addiction.

Careful media portrayals of mental illness are more important than they may seem. While it’s true that not everyone feels the influence of media, there are people that do, and it is those people that we have to keep an eye out for. People might be influenced regarding their hair style or the latest Twitter hashtag, but the media portrayal of mental illness may influence them as well.

There is a common misconception that an individual with binge eating disorder has a certain body type (What Does Binge Eating Disorder Look Like?). When it comes to binge eating disorder, as well as other eating disorders, there is not one way a person's body will look. You cannot tell just by looking at someone whether or not they struggle with an eating disorder of any type. Body type and binge eating disorder are not necessarily linked.

Are you feeling overwhelmed and need to take control of your life? If you're not careful, stress and anxiety can take over your life. I often find myself with to-do lists that are far too long, anxiety that is far too high and little-to-no motivation. Sound familiar? I was sick and tired of feeling this way, and I bet you are too, so I made some small changes that allowed me to feel in control of my life and stop feeling overwhelmed.