Thread by @MJ_Leaver

So, while I'm not medication averse, it's going to be really important for me to not let my other management skills lapse, even though there's no doubt this prescription has eased my anxiety to far more manageable levels.

Everyone's skills and things that help look a little different, but I'm going to tweet a bit about what I do, that works for me, with absolutely no judgement for whatever works for you.

So - meditation. I meditate every day. I do a guided Daily Calm via my @calm subscription. Hearing @TamaraLevitt 's voice each day (and for the last 820+) is something I make time for - and even made time for in hospital.

It's a guaranteed 10-15 minutes where I work to focus on my breath, and absorb the message or whatever the Daily Calm is. Sometimes I'll do multiple sessions in a day. Some people like to meditate in the morning, but because nights can be rough, I meditate before bed.

Daily meditation practice flows into and helps my efforts to be mindful throughout the day. This means 'noticing' my thoughts (and sometimes feelings, still very much a work in progress), and also trying to stay grounded in what is happening.

This can be really tough sometimes, especially when I've been unexpectedly triggered by past trauma, and I have to repeat my 'here is not there, now is not then' mantra. It's super important to practice your skills when you are not distressed.

This way, they're familiar and part of your life, and you may have more success accessing and utilitising them when you really need. Cognitive functioning can take a hit when your distress is surging.

And that can make it hard to make mindful and helpful choices. Sometimes I need a physical 'shock' to help connect me back to the present moment. For me, that's using ice cubes. But in a pinch, I can alternate hot and cold water on my hands, or face for the same effect.

Being mindful - or being present moment also means trying to engage fully with whatever is happening at any given time. For me this is anything from music, to tv, to cooking, to tiny humans.

Returning to the gym. I had a six day a week (probably not entirely adaptive) gym habit before I started work last October, but the physical demands of the job and sleep deprivation meant that lapsed. So it's really important to start that again.

I'm planning on heading up tomorrow for a session. It's important (for me) to remember that a session doesn't have to be huge, or perfect, to still have benefits. My body - and brain - feel better for it.

Nutrition is really important too. I struggle with this, because for the past few months my anxiety has been really high, which makes me nauseous and makes it hard to eat. So this is a work in progress.

I find I tend to veer from extremes, I will barely manage a meal a day, and then I'll have a day when I eat the universe - and this is another avoidant coping strategy - eating my feelings.

I'm going to try and make a concerted effort to eat more regularly (she tweets, having eaten scrambled eggs and a small garlic bread yesterday, and nothing today 😬). Work in progress and trying, continually, to soften judgement of myself.

Therapy. I have a psychologist and a psychiatrist and they both serve different roles within my care. My psychiatrist (now prescribed medication), but also works on a weekly basis (at the moment) to assess my risk levels.

My Psychologist helps me to be aware of just what is informing my emotional and intellectual responses and to find ways to ease up on maladaptive coping modes and make more helpful choices.

The work with my Psychologist has faltered the past few months, and that's because she was also trying to help manage extreme clinical risk, which wasn't really her wheelhouse.

Work. I really enjoy work. I had a conversation with them about how I'd ideally like a minimum of 15 hours a week, so hopefully that happens as time moves on. Work helps me feel more capable and confident.

Connection. My relationship, with T and the tiny humans. Also maintaining and working on friendships outside of the family unit - interpersonal stuff is very challenging for me, and I'm prone to withdrawal.

Finally, working to try and accept who, where and how I am, and not be so fixated on "fixing" me. Radical acceptance is without a doubt the hardest of the DBT skills, and the most confronting.

It doesn't mean you don't work towards change, and healing, but it does mean you try to accept each moment as it arises.

Ok, that's my giant tweet thread for the day. Be kind to you, pocketfam.