No one is exempt from mental distress. But because we live in a society that tends to require people to hide their emotions rather than confront them, it’s sometimes hard for us to come to terms with our issues.
Mental distress, also known as emotional distress or psychological distress, is common and a sign that there’s something on your mind that needs attention.
“The key [to addressing mental distress] is how often you are feeling this sense of distress, how bad it gets and how long it lasts; that is what can help determine the seriousness of your situation,” Abby Aronowitz, PhD, the director of SelfHelpDirectives.com, wrote on WebMD.com.
If you think you’re suffering from more than sadness or daily stress, you shouldn’t feel bad about taking a personal day even when you’re a cam girl who works from home.
Reach out to friends in person and online
Sure, there are professionals who are trained to diagnose your symptoms and treat your mental distress or distresses with medication and therapy. But talking to your friends and fellow camgirls about your issues can help calm episodes, too.
Going online and communicating with other camgirls and women who suffer from similar mental health issues can help … a lot. That’s why Instagram accounts like @Sadgirlsclubpbg exist.
Elyse Fox, an Instagram star and filmmaker, started the Instagram account that became a real-life club after opening up about her own battles with mental distress. Fox took a giant leap when she highlighted her distress in one of her films. The feedback she got from the online community was overwhelmingly positive.
“I [heard from] women and young girls who wanted a mentor within the community,” Fox told Teen Vogue.
“The best advice you can get would be community-based, so I wanted to create something for girls to connect in real life and in person to get rid of the stigma around mental distress,” she continued. “I’m a first-generation Caribbean woman. The topic of mental distress was never discussed in my home. I never had the outlook or knew how to speak about it. [So, when] I put out a film in December removing my mask, [I said,] ‘Hey, I’m not as happy as I seem. I’m depressed and here’s my story.’ That’s when I received a wave of girls saying, ‘I feel the same way.’ From there I made it my mission to create something.”
Personal care for camgirls
In the past few years, people — at least people online — have become a bit more open about personal care routines that help them cope with mental distress.
Hashtag mental health campaigns, Pinterest boards and personal think pieces about depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other issues have almost normalized the all-too-common conditions. But the one place that has yet to truly accept mental distress as a totally normal condition is the workplace.
Although as a camgirl you have more flexibility with personal scheduling and don’t have a boss looking over your shoulder from 9-to-5, five days a week, you still have to contend with clients who appreciate and anticipate your service. And let’s be honest: Because you work from home, you may feel internal pressure to work even when your body and mind tell you that you need a personal day.
So, what’s a girl to do? It’s simple: Listen to your body.
Plenty of simple things can help enhance your mood. Do things that make you happy: Read a book, take a bath, get some new lipstick. Or get outside and sweat, because even though you have the luxury of working from home, being inside all day can be a major drag.
However, we all know that when you’re down, it sometimes can be impossible to do any of the previously mentioned mood-boosting, mentally calming things. To add insult to injury, people with mental distress tend to be more prone to self-criticism. So, instead of waking up and criticizing yourself for feeling down, tell yourself that some days are harder than others.
“It’s important to build a soft cushion of acceptance in the margins of your work life when you have a chronic distress, where you can regroup without guilt or shame if you’re having a particularly tough day, or as you’re bouncing back to a more grounded state,” clinical psychologist and author Deborah Serani, PsyD, told PsychCentral.
Remember: When it’s all too much, just try to forgive yourself and know tomorrow is a new day.
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Abbie Stutzer is a writer and editor from Lawrence, Kans. Find her on Twitter at @abbiestutzer and on Insta at @abbiestutzer. Email her at abbie@ynotcam.com.
Image © Anita Peppers.
