Ok so I have had this post on my to write list for so long that it is actually now a year and two months on from when I came off my medication for anxiety and depression in February 2022. I hadn’t exactly planned to come off my tablets when I did, and to be honest with you I really didn’t think it would be something I would be ready to do having gone through a tough time only a few months beforehand, but it just kind of happened and I went with it.
I have struggled with my mental health since I was twelve years old and have been on and off medication and in and out of counselling and therapy ever since, but it has now been fourteen months and I have not felt the need to go back on tablets so far. I think one of the main reasons for this is the regular exercise I have been doing – I go to the gym at least twice a week, sometimes three or four times, to a spin class, as well as attending a weekly pole fitness class and trying to fit in a long walk every weekend too.
Exercise is known to be fantastic for your mental health, and at combatting common mental health illnesses such as depression. I have made the effort, even on days when I have struggled, to get up and get out of the house to workout and I really do think it has made a big impact on my overall happiness and ability to get through harder times and bad weather, which has in the past really affected my mood.
The biggest shock to me was how well I coped during the autumn and winter months, when I usually struggle with seasonal affective disorder. Instead I made it through stressful situations in the workplace, taking everything in my stride and managing to stay upbeat and positive for the most part. I recently felt strong enough to quit a job that was starting to negatively affect my mental health, and secured my next job role despite a knock to my confidence. It’s been really liberating to feel so in control of my own emotions and have such a good headspace compared to previous years.
The only other thing I have been doing alongside exercise is using a Vitamin D spray daily, to top up my levels during the colder, darker months. I still have moments where I feel low, and there are times when I have slipped a little and panicked about going back to that dark place (I don’t think you can really understand what I mean by this unless you’ve been through it yourself), but overall I am in a much better, stronger place than I have been for a long time, and I am so proud of myself for getting here after all the struggles I went through at the tail-end of 2021. It’s been a journey, but I am really pleased that I made it out the other side and feel better than ever before for it.
If you are struggling with your mental health make sure you talk to a doctor for advice, and if you feel you are ready to come off your own medication, always seek the advice of a mental health practitioner beforehand to ensure it is done slowly and safely.
