Under Construction - MHWA Retreat

What is the best and worst advice you've received regarding your mental health? What advice would you give to a friend struggling with the same issues as you? Is it even a good idea for a layman to give advice on mental health issues, or should that be left to the professionals?

I'm one of those people who can give good advice, but it's hard for me to even ask for it. I'm not sure why I don't but then again, I suffer from anxiety so that's probably the answer right there.
I've never asked for advice, been given some, by doctors, not therapists and the answers from them is to medicate myself. Um NO. I mean if I could actually find a medicine that wouldn't zombie me out then ok, but mostly everything I've taken has made it almost impossible to function and I need to function, I have to function. Even with splitting the dose in half, it either doesn't work at all or still makes me feel like a medicine head. Foggy, not knowing how I ended up getting where I was going, etc.
I've researched some tips, tricks, etc, but haven't found too much that I haven't already tried on my own or I find things that just seem to complicated to remember to do right when I feel an attack coming on.
I think as long as a person can understand another's situation, advice can be given. It's really up to you if you want to take it or not. Personally, I'd rather explain to a friend what's going on than to a stranger who doesn't know me, doesn't know how I would react, doesn't know what anxiety is like, so on. As long as someone I know that cares, is listening, sometimes that's all I need, want. Just an understanding that I'm not always the person I 'pretend', want, need, to be.

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Shhh. Whisper.....