How does one cope with having a mental illness? There are many ways that work differently for everyone in addition to medication and therapy. My brother's way of coping is to do physical activity that releases the rage within him. He participates in
MMA fighting. This helps him to focus his every day angers that would have exploded in a negative way. His rage disorder and bipolar let him lose his temper at a moment's notice. Someone could look at him the wrong way before and he would confront them in their face. Now he can let things go easier, in part because of his medications, his ability to understand his own moods and keep himself out of trouble, which comes with growing up. He also has the physical outlet to release built up anger.
Another way of coping with a mental illness is to focus energies on other things. For my cousin with a wide variety of mental illnesses she has asked me to not share,
painting has become a favorite hobby. She loves it and it helps to relieve her stress from daily life and struggles. She enjoys just putting all of her thoughts onto a canvas and being able to reflect later at them.
Painting is known to help people who have autism as well and cannot communicate easily through spoken or written words. I have purchased a painting for a Christmas gift from
this site; it was painted by someone with autism.
