Guest blogger: John Arenburg.

If you have been an avid follower of my work then you will know that I don't take my mental illnesses laying down. I have been in the fight for a very long time and have been very successful in the past of winning enough battles to enjoy a quality of life that has produced happier times and great moments that I will alway treasure.

And, if you have read my blog regularly then you are also well aware that my war on my mental health has also been met with some pretty serious defeats. And like in war, losing key battles is synonymous with losing ground. It is the nature of the beast, a beast that seemingly cannot be tamed.

Within the words of my writings their is a voice that is trying to reach other and help others with their own war within. The intent is to act as reinforcements for those in their darkest hours. These dark times come and go, sometimes a flicker, other times nothing but dark. I am a proponent of doing whatever it takes to stay on the road to wellness.

But even the warriors with the strongest resolve experience exhaustion and a fear that this is the battle that will lose the war. I am that warrior, at the junction of feeling defeat, like, despite my best efforts I am l being beat down, every counter attack on my mental illnesses feels like its in vein. Have I reached a critical point in the war where defeat is all but certain?

No! I will not bend to the will of my Anxiety, Depression and PTSD. What I am currently going through, as intense as it is merely tells my I must step up my mental wellness game. I am warrior and although my illnesses are telling me that I must bend to their will, I will not!

So how then do I manage my mental pain from the pits of my own hell? first, I give it the finger and then I start to plan. The plan I am working on is this: I have requested another medication to help quell the increase in symptoms and I am going to adjust my fitness goals to a completely different activity. Once a week I am planning on going for a hike with a friend(s). The hope is that I will start to see some relief and experience more joy by not only connecting with nature but also with good friends. A bonus would be to make new connections along the way.

This is how I step up my mental wellness game. What does stepping up your mental wellness game plan look like for you? Don't know? time to dig out the pen and paper and start making a wellness plan.

Hi, my name is John Arenburg. I am a 15 year veteran of the fire service and have spent almost 20 years in the mental health field. I have PTSD, Depression and Anxiety. If you like what you have read, you can find more of my content at: theroadtomentalwellness.com

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