How to Make Decisions when Mental Illness Makes It Difficult

Here's what's happening on the HealthyPlace site this week:

• How to Make Decisions when Mental Illness Makes It Difficult
• From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs
• Video: Bipolar and Anxiety: How It Feels, How to Cope
• Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans
• Mental Health Quote

How to Make Decisions when Mental Illness Makes It Difficult

Decision-making can be a difficult process for anyone, but for those multiple millions of people living with any type of mental illness, making decisions big or small can be daunting. Racing thoughts and overthinking can prevent a clear path to a conclusion. Worries, “what-ifs” and imagined worst-case scenarios add significant stress to the decision-making process.

Other effects of mental illness interfere with decision-making, too. When someone’s thinking is slowed, deciding upon anything is nearly impossible. Delusional beliefs create confusion. Obsessions, compulsions, or both can slow down or stop the decision-making process.

You don’t have to get stuck, no matter how difficult it is to decide something. Try these tips for making decisions when mental illness blocks you:

• Clear your mind by taking slow, deep breaths. Go for a short walk to refresh before decision-making.
• Think about someone you admire. What would they do?
• List possible choices. Assign each choice a number and roll dice to choose.
• When you start imagining horrible consequences, let them go. Picture them floating down a river or away on a cloud. Then, return to the present moment to think about your choices right now.
• Write down one pro and one con for each choice you have. What is most meaningful to you?

Be patient with yourself. It’s one of the best decisions you’ll ever make.

Related Articles Dealing with Mental Illness and Decision-Making

• How To Improve Decision-Making Despite Anxiety
• Depression and Indecision: Trouble Making Decisions
• Good Decision-Making Begins with Small Choices
• PTSD and Decision-Making: How to Put Power in Your Process
• Making the Big Decisions When You Have Bipolar
• Unimportant Decisions When You Have Bipolar Depression

Your Thoughts

Today's Question: In what ways do your mental illness symptoms make it difficult to make decisions? We invite you to participate by sharing your thoughts, experiences, and knowledge on the HealthyPlace Facebook page.

From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs

On all our blogs, your comments and observations are welcomed.

• The Ever-Changing Conditions of Bipolar 2 Disorder
• When You're Sick of Trying to Be Perfect and Resist Recovery
• Learning to Live in the Moment with Schizophrenia and Anxiety
• Ways to Provide Support to Yourself and Your Partner
• Lack of Exercise Negatively Affects My Schizoaffective Disorder
• Societal Myths that Retraumatize Victims After Abuse
• How to Find Your Authenticity with a Self-Interview
• 8 Ways to Make Your Home an Anxiety-Free Zone
• When You Have Mentally Ill Friends
• Working Benefits My Mental Illness Recovery

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blogs homepage for the latest posts.

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From HealthyPlace YouTube Channel

I'm Hannah. I Have Bipolar 2

Bipolar and Anxiety: How It Feels, How to Cope

Living with bipolar disorder AND anxiety can be really tough to deal with. I have been living in uncertainty for a long time, and know what it feels like. However, over the last couple of months, I have learned some ways of thinking that have helped me cope with anxiety and manage bipolar. So I’m sharing what bipolar disorder and anxiety feels like and check out my tips for how to cope. (Watch Hannah and subscribe to the HealthyPlace YouTube channel for more great mental health videos.)

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Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans

Here are the top 3 mental health articles HealthyPlace Facebook fans are recommending you read:

1. Is a Minor Illness Making Your Depression Worse?
2. How Alcohol Abuse Affects Women
3. Get Help for Schizoaffective Disorder: Running vs Walking

If you're not already, I hope you'll join us/like us on Facebook too. There are a lot of wonderful, supportive people there.

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Mental Health Quote

"What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, more unashamed conversation about illnesses that affect not only individuals, but their families as well."

Read more mental health quotes.

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That's it for now. If you know of anyone who can benefit from this newsletter or the HealthyPlace.com site, I hope you'll pass this onto them. You can also share the newsletter on any social network (like facebook or stumbleupon) you belong to by clicking the links below. For updates throughout the week, follow HealthyPlace on Twitter or become a fan of HealthyPlace on Facebook. Also, check out HealthyPlace on Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest, where you can share your mental health pins on our Share Your Mental Health Experiences board.

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