Sometimes it is something we will never exactly know why we have mental health issues. Some might say it's genetic, some would say it's the result of the kind of pregnancy your mother had. Some might say it's due to some very early childhood trauma. But either way, the why probably doesn't matter as much as the what do we do about it now? Because we can't change our genes, our mom's pregnancy or go back in time and escape childhood trauma before it happens.

Irrational thoughts exist, and emotions exist. It does get tiresome to feel so led around by thoughts and emotions but there are definitely ways to become more free, more in control. It isn't easy, and it's something you have to keep doing every day, but I believe it can be done.

Self-awareness is the first step to getting more control. Monitoring your emotional state and your thoughts and then being able to recognize when they are irrational or harmful and then coming up with strategies for dealing with them, reducing them, replacing them.