The Thing I Hate Most About Depression Is That It Tricks You Into Thinking You Don’t Have Depression.

The thing I hate most about depression is that it tricks you into thinking you don’t have depression. It makes you think that nothing is wrong with you, that you just feel this way because you lack value as a person. Whether that’s in your relationships, your academics, or a view of yourself, it makes you think you aren’t good enough for any of that.

“It’s not the illness,” it says, “You feel this way because it’s who you are.”

Coping Cupboard!

I’ve recently moved back home, and it’s been a perfect time to re-evaluate, add to, and organize my coping skills items. I thought I would share about my little cupboard in case in the hopes that it might give someone else a few ideas!

Okay, Let’s look at the big items first:

pink bucket: this is for the TIPP skill. I leave it empty despite it taking up more space, because then it is easily accessible and visible for those moments that I need it.

Blue binders (2): These contain the notes and handouts from the times I did IOP and residential treatment. Same goes for the composition notebook.

Green and white folder: hold art I made in IOP and residential.

Green medication container

And in the very back right corner (hidden atm) are my medications to put inside the green med container!

Now, what’s in that colorful box?

Scents!

rosemary extract

peppermint extract

spruce essential oil

lavender sachet

cinnamon in a tiny necklace bottle

soap!

four candles with different scents

Taste!

minty tic-tacs

cinnamon fireball candies

tea

Touch!

rubber wormy

two rocks

a crystal

blue plastic rock

lamb plushie

Watch!

glitter jar

To Do:

two post-cards to draw on

playing cards

DBT flashcards of different skills

Happy Thoughts:

pendant of little-me from my mother

friendship bracelet

photo of little-me

photos of friends, family, and pets in tiny photobook

Decision Making (for times you know what skills to use, but you can’t make yourself choose/do one)

dice

large coin

But…. what about the larger items I still haven’t addressed?

Oh these things? :P

My safety plan (tucked into the coloring book for privacy on the picture)

Happy quotes I’ve collected

The journal I’m writing self-compassion letters in

Two items of lotion

A stress ball

AND, a weighted blanket I keep beneath my Coping Cupboard

Now…. Obviously I have a lot of things. It’s not at all necessary to have so many things! I’ve just had many years of therapy to collect things…. What i do recommend is finding a highly-visible place to keep them so that you USE THEM. Frequently. Not just in crisis. On any sort-of-low day. The idea is to get into the routine of practicing self-care. It’s not something you have to feel “bad enough” to use. Use it often! Use it just because you want to!

Personally, I’ve found keeping my medication with my coping items is really helping me think about them and use them more often, since I have to take my meds twice each day. That’s helped keep these little items in the forefront of my mind.