G’day, friends, and welcome back to another week and blog post.
It’s safe to say this past month has been rather taxing emotionally and mentally. I went to two funerals in a week, and the cold winter air is never a fun time with a muscle condition as I feel weaker and stiffer than normal which is terrifying.
I know I have touched on it a few times through this blog. However, I feel like I haven’t gone too in-depth about mental health and being disabled and how those little inner demons can wreak havoc if you don’t confront and deal with them.
Having a disability opens you up to more challenges than perhaps someone who doesn’t have a disability. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying that only people with disability have challenges because what some people have to go through daily can be horrible and beyond challenging. I feel having a disability adds an extra layer to challenging times.
Watching yourself slowly lose the ability to do the things you love most and have to learn the concept of compromise early on is tricky, especially as a 6-year-old.
Navigating Muscular Dystrophy is often filled with anxiety, dread, and uncertainty. You are constantly hearing statistics on lifespan and what your life could be like, and you say goodbye to friends who have given it their all, but their bodies cant continue anymore.
So having a healthy understanding of mental health (see what I did there? no? carry on, don’t mind me) is so important.
There is still a cloud over mental health, and people don’t want to discuss mental health or how they are coping with things, especially when life throws a curveball. Which is something that so desperately needs to change
Growing up, I struggled with my mental health and outlook on life. So many people told me I was an inspiration, incredible, strong. But I didn’t feel like that. I felt like a burden, a waste of space, and a problem, and I was causing my family so much hurt as they had to watch me deteriorate and they had to sit through so many doctors’ appointments.
I can’t remember if I mentioned it, but I was physically bullied about 12 months after my grandfather’s death; my condition rapidly declined as I approached puberty, and my mental health was at its worst. I felt like I had nothing else to give, and it was better for everyone if I wasn’t here. I contemplated suicide and almost attempted it. I remember that day like it was yesterday.
So many people saw the strong person who defied the odds and kept doing what I wanted, but they didn’t see the person crying to sleep, feeling alone, scared, and not loving themselves.
That’s why I am so incredibly vocal about mental health, and I will always ask people if they are okay.
I have and continue to do so much work around my mental health and am always checking in with myself to see how I am feeling. I know I harp on all the time about seeking professional help and journaling and equine therapy, but they are all the things that have helped me find joy and happiness in the uncertainty. I also have a slight addiction to self-help books, but hey, you do what you got to do!
Like anyone, I still have my ups and downs, but through all my self-development work, I have found coping strategies and ways to pull myself out of a hole if needed.
The mind is the most vital thing you have; it can convince you easily to think of things that may not be good for you. The saying is so true; the longer you think something about yourself, it becomes the truth. The more your brain repeats something harmful (or even positive), the more you believe it is the truth, and you won’t believe any other outside influence. You will find any scrap of evidence (which may not even be evidence) to back up what you are thinking about yourself.
So it is important for me to continually work on my mental health and be open about how I feel.
Living abled my way comes down to my mindset and mental health. How I view myself and my condition is a make-or-break situation.
I know if I have robust coping strategies and continually work on my mindset and mental health when my disability progresses or things seem scary and uncertain, I can face it head-on, and i will be okay.
Conversations about mental health shouldn’t be taboo, and it isn’t attention-seeking. It is essential, especially trying to find ways through a challenging time.

These past two weeks, my mental health care included taking an extra long bath with a glass of wine and a book, talking about how I feel, crying, laughing, journaling, and being surrounded by animals and love.
I know I can’t always be happy and bubbly, but finding ways forward and coping mechanisms is critical. I know my worth and all the good things people say about me. Sometimes mindset and mental health will slip, it’s normal, but I know I will be okay. Disability is a journey that requires so much bravery and mental strength, but I am grateful for all the lessons and opportunities.
If anyone is struggling for whatever reason, know this is always a safe space, and know you can DM me whenever you need someone to talk to. Remember, you are never alone, and you have value!
Till next week.
Rhi