Ever since I was a young person, I have struggled with mental health issues.
When I was younger, my mom didn’t know how to deal with my mental issues, so she stuck me in a mental hospital and called the police six or seven times. I wish she would have taken me to a professional counselor instead of punishing me for circumstances beyond my control. I didn’t want to have to have crazy thoughts and feelings. Eventually, I ended up in rehab for drug and alcohol abuse. It was then that I realized I was self medicating with drugs instead of caring for my mental health issues. I started taking a small pill every morning and it really helps relieve a lot of the tension and stress. I don’t feel depressed all the time and I have a full time job. For the first time in my life, I actually have a full time job with benefits and a bank account. I work in a diner kitchen making food like burgers, fried chicken, pancakes, and eggs. I like the job, but sometimes it is hard to stay focused. Work has been entirely stressful this week. The AC broke down a few days ago, and the boss hasn’t bothered to fix the problem. The AC stopped blowing any air at all on Tuesday and today is Saturday. It’s about 100 degrees in the back of the restaurant now that the AC isn’t working. When I’m hot and uncomfortable, I tend to be cranky and angry. The lack of AC makes me feel anxious and that is a trigger for my anxiety.