When Self-Advocacy Faulters: Reflecting on My Psychiatic Journey

In this episode, I share what came of my latest psychiatry appointment  and honestly, it left me feeling pretty frustrated. Again.I talk about what it’s like trying to navigate the mental health system while dealing with anxiety and depression at the same time. When you’re already running on empty, self-advocacy feels almost impossible. The system wants us to be proactive, but how do you do that when you can barely get out of bed?I open up about:Why the mental health system feels reactive instead of preventativeHow depression and anxiety pull me in opposite directions — one shutting down the future, the other making it terrifyingMy mirtazapine being pushed up to 30mg, moving me into the therapeutic rangeJuggling around eight medications, even though my original hope was to taper down and start againThe double-edged sword of “insight” - it looks good on paper, but in reality, it often just feeds my depressionThe short, surface-level appointments in public psychiatry that leave little space for the real stuffAnd at the heart of it all - the fact that I’ve lost my ability to laugh and smile, and how deeply that hurtsIt’s an honest, heavy one - but I think it’s important. --Follow The Dysregulated Podcast: Instagram – @elliot.t.waters Facebook – The Dysregulated Podcast YouTube – The Dysregulated Podcast (Official Channel)Created by Elliot Waters — Inspired by lived experience. Mental health insights, real stories, real conversations.