HEALTH
My struggles with physical and mental health have played a huge role in my personal growth and academic experiences. It's easy to get caught up in the What Ifs and lament the path that might have been, but part of my journey is being kind to myself and celebrating my wins while continuing to look forward to the future.
I GOT SICK
Very Sick
If you read my reflection for Winter quarter 2019, you can see just how badly I was affected by this illness. I'm still not entirely sure what it was, because once I finished the antibiotic treatment for strep, it came back worse, but then stronger antibiotics helped. Either way, I was incapacitated for a super inconvenient amount of time, and long story short is that I dropped my math class. But this allowed for some interesting dynamics come spring, when I took my first LSJ class
MINA AND THE ELLIPTICAL:
A QUARANTINE LOVE STORY
Spring 2020 was the first full quarter online. I found my usually mild seasonal depression harder to shake, and had a really hard time dealing with my mental health this quarter. It gave me a wake-up call that I was neglecting my fitness and even if exercise wouldn’t cure my mental health, it would help. I decided one way to stay grounded and take care of myself was to spend 30 minutes on the elliptical every day. If I couldn’t go out, I needed to stay active some other way! It was nice to take this time for myself and have some semblance of a routine in such unstable times. I got to watch shows and feel accomplished, as I was doing something good for my body and improving every time!
DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY!
A TIMELINE
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WINTER 2020: Typical seasonal depression, nothing new... cue pandemic! Why isn't this going away?
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SUMMER 2020: Okay, I have tried eating healthier, exercising, and coping on my own. I need help! My doctor prescribes anti-depressants to give me a boost.
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WINTER 2021: I was managing until now, but I'm starting to feel bad again. I reach out to UW counseling and find a permanent therapist through them. Yay for coping strategies, self-reflection, and validation! Also, maybe anxiety was a bigger problem than I realized?
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BETWEEN THEN AND NOW:
So many ups and downs. Meds that help with depression make me anxious, meds that help with anxiety make me more depressed. Every new combination takes months to evaluate. But I am pushing through. And I got a kitten! See some pics of Toby in my photo gallery!
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