Over the 10 years I have been under the community mental health services, I have been diagnosed with more than one mental illness: bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, health anxiety and finally, complex-PTSD just one year ago.
After years looking for help and things never really adding up, being diagnosed with these conditions did help me begin to understand my mind. It put a name to what I was going through, which made me feel better understood — not just by other people, but myself, too.
But living with multiple mental illnesses can be really, truly difficult. Just like living with any mental illness.
It can make seeking help and recieving it hard, and making sense of your symptoms when they’re all so intense can be extremely difficult.
If you have more than one mental health condition, you might have also experienced the following:
Distinguishing Which Illness Is Affecting You Can Be Confusing
It can sometimes be impossible to tell which mental illness is affecting you. Because some symptoms can be similar, understanding what’s actually happening can be hard, which means self-help can be impossible. What do you practice to make yourself feel better when you don’t actually know what’s going on?
When You Try To Get Help For A Certain Illness, Doctors Never Seem To Prioritise It
There often seems to be one illness that doctors focus on, and then every other symptom that is caused by other illnesses is blamed on that. I’ve tried to get help multiple times for my OCD — which has put me under the Crisis team multiple times — but it always seems to be another illness that mental health professionals bring to the forefront, which can make you feel isolated and unheard — and leaves you without proper help.
It Can Be Difficult To Open Up About Your Mental Health
How do you open up when you yourself feel confused about what’s happening in your head?
It’s often hard to talk about each of your conditions, to friends, family and even mental health professionals, because you don’t actually know where to start.
It Can Make You Feel Ashamed And Unloveable
There is still so much shame around mental illness, and while we’re getting there, having more than one can make you feel like you’re always going to be rejected. When you hear stories of people being rejected by people they’re interested in because of their mental health, it can make you want to withdraw and feel like you’re not able to truly open up.
Mental Health Professionals See You As Too ‘Complex’ To Help
If you have multiple mental illnesses, it’s likely you’ve been told you’re ‘too complex’ to help. Thinking back to the time begged to be referred for therapy for my CPTSD (which, at the time, was absolutely crippling), and being rejected on the basis it ‘wouldn’t be helpful for me’ because my other other conditions made me ‘too complex’ to qualify.
Our Own Illnesses Can Act As Triggers
It can feel like you’re constantly dealing with at least one illness, with no break. They can intertwine and trigger each other, with one period of bad mental health due to one illness triggering intrusive thoughts, mood swings, mania, increased anxiety or periods of depression and more. It’s like a never-ending cycle.
Comorbidity Is Complicated, And We Need Love, Understanding And Support
Comorbid conditions are nothing to be ashamed of, and we need love, support and understanding.
It can be really isolating and lonely living with multiple mental illnesses, and kindness and understanding is so appreciated.
