Mental health issues

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Hello my name is Lora. I'm really struggling to cope with being Autistic and my mental health is a mess. I feel like there's no hope left for me now and I'm scared because I don't know what to do or who to turn to for help which is why I've come here. Is anyone else like this? How do you cope?

I struggled with this from time to time. In high school I would talk to the school therapist and guidance counselor. If this is not possible a friend or a safe adult will do.
Things I used to do when feeling alone/ mentally unwell:
- listen to music
- Work in organization related to helping others (For example, I used to volunteer in a big brother’s group)
- or work toward whatever is causing you to feel bad- Lonely because you struggle with reading body language- read a book to help you get better at reading people/ how to make friends
- Practice your special interest
- Lookup history of important people with mental health problems (Abraham Lincoln struggled with depression and anxiety, Helen Keller, Albert Einstein...) this helped me cope
- Be around people without interacting (so your not alone)
- Journal
- Exercise- light liking walking if you don't feel like exercises
Now this list doesn’t address specifically mental health directly but it does assist you in the mean time and during the process of getting help from someone.

I hope this is resourceful.

I am lucky enough to have a large collection of flowering perennials in my yard. Won't be long until the daffodils announce that Spring is on its way!

Hello. This has been really helpful, thank you so much! .

I had a school therapist who I spoke to, her name was Jessica and she was really supportive. I couldn't tell her everything but I did open up to her a little. She's since left school and the new lady I can't open up to at all. I listen to music a lot, I find that helps relax me and clear my head when I'm feeling low. I haven't tried volunteering although there are places I could go to do that so it's definitely worth considering. Did you find it a good experience?
I'll see if I can get a book on how to read people and make friends. I struggle with that a lot. Currently I don't even have one friend, so it can be really lonely at times. I don't think I've got a special interest. I'm ok at art but that's about it. I'll definitely look the famous people up, I didn't realise so many had mental health problems! It's a comfort knowing that they rose above them though so that makes me a bit more hopeful.
I try and be around others at school but they usually walk away from me or start to pick on me so that's kind of hard to do. I've found being around people in their last year they haven't picked on me and one girl did speak to me a little so I'll probably try and stay around her and them. I do keep a journal, it's a bit depressing at times re-reading what I've written but I find it does help so I'll keep at that.
I love exercising. I have a little dog which I take out every morning and evening so I get plenty of walks in, and because my dogs with me I don't feel as anxious as I do when I'm alone. So that's a confidence boost everytime.

Thank you, this was a really big help! .

@BTDT. Before she became sick my mum had a really nice garden which she used to spend 90% of her time in . I think she would be jealous of your flowers.

Did you try meditation? Just being with yourself, in silence. Being with everything you feel and think, seeing it with love?
"A mess" usually needs work to clean it up. There might be some junk from all your past contributing to today's mess. The goal is to clear it enough to make it livable.
I wish you found another counselor to open up.

Actually no but now that you mention it I will. I'll look up some meditation guides online and see if any helps me deal with my stuff. I wish that as well. The new therapist isn't as warm and gives me the impression that she doesn't like me or want to be there which instantly makes me anxious around her.

Volunteering was okay. It was hard at moments, but very rewarding. I enjoyed what I did. The kids I mentored were younger than me, and they just appreciated my role as a mentor. They seemed not to notice my social difficulties.

^> That's good that you enjoyed the experience, even if it was difficult at times. That's something I would like to look in to sometime soon. I like the idea of volunteering somewhere. I do struggle socially but I think if I took it slowly I would be ok doing this.