Hello and welcome. I would like to first thank you for letting your curiosity push you to peek in just a little further. I’d like to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about what I hope that this blog will bring to the table in the future.

My name is Naomi and I was born in the capital of Montana. Yes, Montana. Some people may be curious about where Montucky is or if you have heard of it you may have misconceptions. Maybe you have had the privilege of experiencing the Big Sky Country and you already know why I thank my lucky stars every day that I was born in such a beautiful place and can call it home.

Being born and breed in Montana I was fortunate to experience all the wonders the world had to offer growing up. Camping, fishing, horseback riding and learning how to shoot a bow, yep I was a true Montana girl.

The Best Kept Secret About Montana Is The Women. They are Tough, Smart, Sexy, and Kind- Hearted. It’s a Lucky guy that ends up with a Montana Gal. ~Jeff Ament~  

Despite being blessed with a great place to call home and all the things a child of nature could only dream of, I had been dealt a very unique hand to play. I had journeyed through a shattered family and tossed from one home to another only to eventually land with a family in my teens. One day a strange new reality was presented to me. I was told that I was different from many of those around me. A lie that I went on to tell myself for years. I was a product of my environment and was predestined to live with an illness clinically defined as Major Depressive Disorder.

I lived many years not really understanding what this new clinical label meant and in reality the naivety of the situation in turn was a way for me to survive during that time. I let my stubborn, ambitious, young self-venture out and explore my world around me. High school Graduate, College Graduate and career woman in a six-year time span. From my teenage years into adulthood circumstances kept me in my naïve world separate from treatment and self-education about my disorder.

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. ~George Bernard Shaw~

As with all those around my again my life spun in and out of control again. Questions spun an intricate web of complexity and intrigue of what my diagnosis really meant for my daily life and future. Years went by with many changes and new life traumas with no new coping mechanisms and I was left in the end with time that had passed me by and questions still unanswered. I was in a mental rut and was experiencing real life Insanity. “DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS”

Suddenly a gift disguised as my perfect hell came crashing from the heavens and my life fell into what seemed like an eternal turmoil. Thus began my journey to my new found self-discovery. It has been filled with a broken sprit that needs to be braced with a loving support system. And held together with spiritual glue.

Along the way toxic relationships were purged and hidden talents have emerged.  I have discovered three things to be true in order not only live but to thrive in a world where a label meant to help you can brand you a failure. They are, educate yourself, take care of yourself (no its not selfish) and find a team of loved ones to support you and hold you accountable.

In order to educate yourself you must talk to those who have experienced trials similar to yours personally. Through networking or those around you every day. And one must research the ins and outs of their diagnosis. Remember clinical findings do not define you they are merely there to better understand and treat an illness. Don’t let a label define you and keep you in a box. Second off one of the hardest things those dealing with invisible illnesses in the complex brain network you lose the ability to allow yourself to be cared for or to allow yourself to care for yourself without feeling guilty. I’m now going to tell you what I have to tell myself every day.

YOU DESERVE TO BE CARED FOR AND LOVED. LOVE YOURSELF AND LET OTHERS LOVE YOU.

Often times this means thinking outside the box and prioritizing self-care goals. It can be as simple as opening your eyes in to morning to something as complex as discovering the deepest depths of the ocean. Find what works for you and do one thing every day to make a conscious effort to make yourself feel good. For me this often includes setting aside deliberate time to do something I love to do or to do something that when I’m feeling low and I’m in a slump it will ease the anxiety of having to deal with my environment later. I’m hoping that this will be able to be a platform for me to share the things that I have discovered when in need of those crucial self-care moments. I also hope that I to will learn new ways to open my mind to new self-care skills. So let’s Learn, Grow and Craft our way to a better person.

Which brings me to my last and final truth I have discovered on my journey of self-discovery. And that is a solid support network. Plug into a group, share your story and meet people who can relate to your circumstances. Let it be a platform for you to learn about you and what it means to be you and not the label that has been pinned to you. Reach out to those around you and allow them to help you and hold you accountable. And lastly surround yourself with those that will be there in all the aspects of your life. The ones that will build you up as you are building them up. Along with the ones that make you feel all warm and cozy. Like my furry friends who saved me the day I saved him. My companion, my emotional support critter and eventually the little guy who became one of the smallest service dogs one will come across. My Rocket man.

So join us as we create a better understanding of the stigma we call Mental Health and make it what is a true mental HEALTH…

TO BE CONTINUED;