knittingquark

This is something I'm pretty evangelical about - I genuinely believe that CBT techniques should be taught in schools alongside exercise and basic health issues. I think everyone - healthy or not - could benefit from learning that what you feel to be true isn't necessarily actually true, and that there are a number of ways to look at a situation before deciding how to react to it. I cannot imagine how much better teenagerhood would be with those techniques in the back of your head, even if the hormones and everything make them hard to implement sometimes.

My heart aches for the young me who hated her body so much just because it was fat, when it could still run and swim competitively and hike and just wander without constantly having to calculate how much pain and exhaustion each choice and each step means.

I miss running and skiing so much, even 16 years down the line from my condition becoming serious, and wish I could have had some compassion for myself back then. I used to be angry that I wasted so much time worrying what I looked like when I swam (because people did not hold back on telling me), but I understand now that I was a kid told over and over that I should be ashamed of how I looked, so believing it wasn't my fault. I just wish I could have some of that time now to revel in the things my body could do without giving a crap what anyone looking at me thinks.

You never know when your world will change. Revel in what your body can do rather than worry about what it looks like.

Are there restrictions or guidelines on people with mental health problems volunteering? For example, I have a history of suicidal ideation, and am treated for (touch wood) controlled depression, and so I'm in a position to really understand the value of what crisis lines do. That said, I've always been hesitant to volunteer because I don't know how serious the risk is of triggering my own issues. Is that something that's covered beforehand?