I’m being an open book about this bc doing so could save a life. I just got done telling my husband that I need to be “all hands on deck” with my mental health. Old Katie would ignore the peek-a-boo signs of an anxiety relapse until she was entirely unable to function.

Old Katie would have thought it was more tough to muscle through and not use her tools until it was super bad. Today, I’m functioning...but with LOTS of signs relapse on the horizon. Loss of interest in things I love, insomnia, panic attacks, loss of appetite, return of

appetite with little regard for nutrition, pockets of profound sadness, headaches, body aches, fatigue, doomsday thinking and the return of spiral OCD thinking. It can be difficult when things seem “good enough” to just ignore the signs and keep on trucking...but this is a

mistake. It’s the mental equivalent of letting a small cut turn to infection and turn to full body sepsis bc we thought we could will ourselves not to get sick. The cut needs cleaned. The wound needs small treatment. Don’t ignore the signs. Call your therapist, call your

friends and family, join a support group even if it’s virtual, take your meds, cut the bad stuff (excess booze, caffeine and sugar), remember your tools (CBT/DBT), and ask for HELP. I did, and I know future Katie thanks me. We can do hard things! ...and you aren’t alone!!!