How do you deal with mental illness?
jawngee: I too have panic disorder, OCD, PTSD and mild depression.  I also used to be hypervigilant and a hypochondriac.  Being hypervigilant means that you are constantly monitoring your body for signs that something massive is wrong.  I used to get a mild chest pain and would turn that into angina.  Or I'd get a headache and convince myself it was a tumor.  Fucking miserable.I've been battling the panic disorder for the last 7 years or so.  PTSD for the last 15 and everything else since day 1.I have one recommendation for you and it's cognitive behavioral therapy, aka CBT.  It's less talking about all the stupid shit your parents did, and more about changing how you think about these particular issues.I did my fair share of medications (nothing too major, ad's like effexor and zoloft and benzo's like ativan, klonopin and xanax) but I don't do any of them anymore thanks to CBT therapy and the growing understanding that everything is temporary.  When you're facing down a vicious panic attack, considering a call to 911, I've found I can stop the entire process in it's tracks by simply acknowledging that this is all temporary and transient.  Sounds so simple, but it's so very hard to do.  Takes a lot of practice.I've beaten the mild depression by forcing myself out amongst humans and participating with people socially.  Really, anything that puts you out of your head.My two secret weapons, beyond CBT therapy, have been marijuana and poker.  Poker has definitely hardened me quite a bit, but more importantly it's helped me grow my own power base.  Any activity that satiates ego is good for people like us.Marijuana, counter intuitive since it typically promotes anxiety in people, has really kept me out of my head for the most part and definitely greases the wheels in terms of accepting my lot in life and the issues that I deal with day in and day out.  It really is my Adderall.  I can't wait for it to be decriminalized.Finally, the biggest thing I did to change it all around was quitting smoking tobacco.  That one single thing probably caused the biggest change out of all the things I've tried.Anyways, hope that helps.