Importance of Self-awareness and Honesty

Why is it so important to have self-awareness when we have a mental illness? When you can look at yourself honestly and be open to your behaviors, flaws, short-comings you can overcome them. The more you know yourself the better you can cope and the less your illness will take control of your life.

An analogy I can think of is a car. The car is your illness. Most times we feel we are the passenger in the car, we feel we have no control of the illness, it drives through our lives running down everyone and everything in our path (oh has it ever!). When we become aware of ourselves we are in the drivers seat. We still may get lost and hit some pot holes but we aren't running over peoples garden gnomes, well maybe sometimes. We aren't all the best divers, we just need some practice.

We know it's important but how do you get self-awareness? Being honest with yourself. Honesty will set you free, seriously. I really live by this. I go as far as being open and honest with anyone I interact with on a daily basis about my illness. I blatantly tell others, “Yup, I’m a total loon, I've lost my marbles, I'm indefinably wacko.” Most people writing for the mental health community more than not hide behind a pen name or don't utter a word of it to others besides close friends or family. I can't do that. I feel it carry's a message of shame. I don't feel shame for having an illness. I don't expect others to do that but for me I have found complete honesty to be freeing. The mindful concept of letting go of attachments has really dug it's root deep in my mind.

You don't have to blurt out to everyone your a nut case to have honesty or self-awareness. I do because I like connecting with others. I do it because I see strength instead of weakness and most times it inspires or uplifts others. I do it because it allows me to see myself humorously and take life less serious which is another article all together.

The bottom line is be honest with yourself. If your depressed say it don't hide it. My biggest downfall was hiding behind a happy smile and pretending everything was okay when in fact it wasn't. Another downfall for me was denying I had anything wrong with me at all. For years I thought I had character flaws that I could fix when in fact I needed to learn how to cope. Then before I knew it I pretty much destroyed my life. Connections with friends, jobs, opportunity's, family, the list goes on. I looked back at the carnage and it hit me like a semi-truck, I really have something wrong with me. I would never have done all this in my right state of mind. 

Besides talking to others one tool I use daily is journaling. I write everything down. Good and bad. Every horrible grotesque thought, I bring it out to the open. It really does help. Just writing alone has helped me become more self-aware and honest with myself. If i'm having a bad day with panic attacks, anxiety, depression, I write off and on all day. One thing to realize though many times there is no reason for depression or any other symptom of an illness, it's just there. Your not always going to find the 'reason' for the way your feeling but it helps keep the thoughts or feelings from careening of the side of a cliff.

What things have you tried to help gain some self insight? Share below in the comment section.