Self-care
What do I mean by self-care?
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines self-care as: "the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider."
I suspect I'm not the only one who doesn't instinctively link this definition with mental health. So, I've amended it to focus on people dealing with mental health issues:
The ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote mental health, prevent mental illnesses, maintain mental health, and to cope with mental illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.
I thought self-care was something I could put off until I'd saved my family. That approach put me in the middle of nowhere with a bottle of whiskey and a bag of pills as company. I came scarily close to not being there for my family. If you take nothing else from my website, PLEASE prioritize self-care.
There are plenty of articles and websites on self-care, but here are a few I found helpful to get you started:
Self-care
An article that explains what self-care is and why it is so important
Self-care
National parks proved a great way to escape for some quality alone time
Hobbies
If you're struggling to find a hobby that will work for you and your circumstances, here's a few ideas
Relationships
Tips for couples living with borderline personality disorder
Relationships
Helpful strategies for parenting a child with borderline personality disorder
Support Groups
MovingForward is a group moderated by Randi Kreger for people with a loved one that has BPD or NPD (check out the excellent WIKI)
Support Groups
A twelve-step program of recovery from codependence for those who seek "peace where there has been turmoil in our relationships"
Support Groups
With over 100,000 members worldwide, this site has a lot of message boards offering support and a community-built knowledge base
Support Groups
The National Alliance on Mental Illness runs peer-led support groups for family members, significant others, and friends of people with mental health conditions
