I have 2 sons- 1 natural son, 1 adopted, both fighting mental illness. I need a government that holds inurers’ feet to the fire. I need mental health parity that is real parity,not a system that  turns the overwhelming majority of psychiatrists into out of network providers. And I want discussions of mental health that don’t start and end with mass school shootings. I’m a mental health voter. And I want more accountability from our elected officials. 

Hello.  We all can live a great, purposeful life managing Bipolar Condition or any mental health situations. 

The social stigma of mental illness used to bother me to no end…and contribute to my problems!  I’m over that now, but I prefer to call it Bipolar Condition vs. “Disorder”.  I also prefer to discuss Mental Health vs. “Illness”.

My story in general: 

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TO ANYONE WITH ANY MENTAL ILLNESS OF ANY AGE:

(you don’t have to be in middle school)

Middle School’s known to be some of the hardest years of our lives, between hormones and homework it’s tough enough to make it through without mental health and the stigma it so often carries. As it’s impossible to make it through a class without someone making a joke about a mental illness either a friend of mine or I have, I’ve come to a certain conclusion. Teenagers will be teenagers, it shouldn’t be that way, it shouldn’t be an excuse to kidding about things that people truly struggle with on a daily basis, but it is. Sometimes things in life are just stupid, but we can’t let that get to us.

I’m a 13 (almost 14) year old in the ignorant year of 8th grade, towards the end of last year a few things in life went really, really wrong, and it resulted in a series of unfortunate events (no pun intended). Basically, by the time 8th grade started, I had not only experienced my fair share of panic attacks, gone to a therapist several times, but I had also been diagnosed with depression and an anxiety disorder. I had basically hidden from my entire grade during the summer, so as school started up again and I was struck by a mass of indirect insults towards my mental illnesses, let’s just say there was a lot of tears at the beginning of the year.

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There has always been a stigma around mental health; I see news reports that if the person who committed a crime had a mental illness, they automatically blame the person’s mental illness for what happened. This NOT always the case and most likely wouldn’t be if we had proper mental health care for everyone that needed it.

I was diagnosed with bipolar and depression seven years ago, and see my psychiatrist and counselor regularly. I hold a full-time job, internship, and am pursuing my master’s in communication and digital media. In no way does having bipolar and depression slow me down in life to the point that I can’t achieve my goals. Featuring people that have mental illness and are doing well in life seem to never be shown in ads or on television. I would love to change this because I am someone who takes medication regularly, and successfully lives a normal life!

I just want to put it out there that if you have a mental illness, you too can live a fulfilling life, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

I thought that I had accepted my mental illness long ago.  After all, I was taking medication and attending counseling after being hospitalized for months in a state psychiatric hospital.  Here I was an “advocate” for mental health but refused to disclose to anyone that I was suffering.  It wasn’t until I moved back to my hometown and got involved as a mental health advocate for NAMI that I realized what exactly accepting a mental health diagnosis meant.

Accepting meant that I was going to no longer stigmatize myself for being ill.  A condition, is a condition, is a condition.  I wouldn’t treat someone with diabetes any differently for being ill so why was I holding myself up to such a ridiculous standard?  Accepting meant that I was not afraid to stand in front of a group of 20 strangers and disclose what I thought was my biggest secret in order to educate the community.  For so long I wanted change to the system, change to mental health care.  The only way that change is going to happen is if we all accept our conditions and reduce the stigmatization.  Through acceptance and education comes change.

That change is exactly what I am seeing in myself and my community now.  After going through facilitator training for the NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group program I started a support group for adults with mental illness in my community.  I now sit on the advisory board for my mental health agency and my local NAMI affiliate as a mental health consumer.   I am no longer afraid to say that I have a mental illness and advocate for those who have not yet reached that stage in their recovery or are unable to advocate for themselves.  There is help and there is hope.

Hi all, I stumbled across this website as I was doing some research on mental health awareness. I just wanted to take the opportunity to praise this site for giving support to those who have suffered and continue to suffer with a mental illness.

I see people have submitted short stories on their past/present regarding struggles with mental health and how they’ve battled with it. It is inspiring, because the problem with having a mental illness is that you feel that you’re in a never ending dark tunnel, with no light whatsoever. But thankfully there is a light, no matter how useless life seems.

I as a 20 year old girl, have in fact been stuck in that tunnel too. It’s not pretty, in fact it’s rather exhausting and quite frankly daunting. Maybe I am one of the lucky souls who has found the light, as I hope others do to. I am fully aware that with my condition, it can come back and bite me. Sadly I can’t control it, but with the love of great people, it seems easier now to grab the bull by the horns.

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According to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), “Everyone knows a little about mental health issues but knowing the facts about mental illness can help you educate others and reject stigmatizing stereotypes. They are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character or poor upbringing. Understanding mental health isn’t only about being able to identify symptoms and having a name for these conditions but dispelling many false ideas about mental health conditions as well.”

Although 1 in 5 Americans live with a mental health condition, my ex-husband treats me like I’m a psychopath all because I was diagnosed with a very manageable disorder.  We have a son between us and after being evaluated by a psychologist that he chose, specific recommendations were made that made me feel like a criminal.  The recommendations laid out included that I provide random drug and alcohol hair tests to my ex-husband, have a breathalyzer installed in my car, and attend AA for one year. 

Let me first state that I’ve never received a DWI or drank alcohol while my son or daughter were in the car with me.  The psychologist during several of our interviews had asked me about drinking alcohol and I explained that I did consider myself a heavy drinker during my divorce and for a short time after.  I NEVER admitted to being an alcoholic,  I was very upfront and honest with the psychologist on all his questions so I had no reason to lie about this. 

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I am 32, a United States Marine Corps veteran, an auditor and I am living with bipolar disorder II, which causes symptoms of anxiety and depression episodes.

I never truly understood what it meant to have a mental illness until I realized that I was constantly worrying and feeling down. My depression episodes manifested as days of extreme lows where I struggled to get out of bed and perform day-to-day tasks and activities. I spoke to some friends who were dealing with similar symptoms, and they encouraged me to seek professional help. My bipolar diagnosis was identified when I was in a serious car accident while experiencing a manic episode.

Discovering a mental illness while recovering from a major accident was not easy. Here is what helped me accept my diagnosis and recover from my physical and mental injuries:

• My family and friends stepped up tremendously ready to assist and encourage me. I was an emotional and mental mess, and they helped put me back together.
• I had to position myself to receive advice from my family and friends who are familiar with mental illness and are actively managing their own mental illnesses. I also had to remain open to receiving information regarding coping strategies, being mindful of my mood and warning signs of a potential manic episode or manic depression.
• Setting small goals helped me find my way back to myself. I am not the same person I was before the accident, and trying to get back to that person is not realistic. I had to accept the now me in order to move forward.   

Today, I am different because I am living with my diagnosis and my diagnosis is not controlling me. I see my therapist and psychologist on a regular basis. I am mindful of my mood on a daily basis and aware of the warning signs of manic and depressive episodes. I ultimately have taken charge of my life and my health.

There is a need for mental illness to be recognized as a real and serious condition in community specifically the African American community. People need to be educated on the various mental illness diagnoses and symptoms and see a therapist at least 2-4 times a year to maintain their mental health. Education and therapy ensure they are not putting themselves or others in danger. Many people are unaware of their mental illness and choose to suffer in silence. We need to end this process of thinking and encourage people to seek support.

Mental illness screenings should be done 2-4 times a year for preventative reasons, just like an annual physical examinations and biannual dental cleanings. Mental illness screenings should be no different.

My hope is that people who live with mental illness and the people who love them will eventually see all health as equally important.

Because I had no history of a mental illness, physicians were unable to diagnosis a variety of unexplained medical symptoms. As I came to understand the mental health aspect of my illness, I was able to direct my own recovery. I would like to see more understanding of the intricate balance of physical and mental health. Discussion of functional motor disorders should focus more on the very real connection between the physical and mental. Terms such as “psychosomatic” imply the symptoms are made up—making the person feel inferior. This furthers negative impressions of mental health and hinders recovery.

For me, difficulty with swallowing was the first symptom. I regularly ran six miles before I had a medical test to determine the cause of the sensation of food feeling “stuck”.  After the test, I struggled to get off the couch. Despite further medical testing, there was no explanation for stomach muscle spasms after eating ½ cup of puree food. Also, walking was reduced to a slow, deliberate shuffle. For nine months, I struggled with walking and eating, then I was able to eat solid food with no difficulty. In the next five years, there would be months when I could maintain physical activity. Then physical symptoms such as weakness, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate would develop. There was no pattern for the appearance of symptoms. In time, symptoms would resolve spontaneously only to return. Symptoms progressed to depression and panic attacks.

After years of medical testing and sporadic counseling, I decided to ignore all physical symptoms. I joined a gym and told class instructors as well as my personal trainer about my medical history. They advised me in what should be a reasonable amount of physical activity. I adhered to a schedule and kept moving through a one hour fitness class. The instructor may do 20 repetitions and I did 5. In time, determined effort became fluid movement. Five months into an exercise routine, I ran a 5K. Two months later, I ran a 10K.

Recovery came as I faced the stigma. I was not “less than” because this happened to me. It was not possible for me to “just get over it” and move on. I had to address the physical, mental, spiritual and social aspects of my life. When I accepted the mental component as opposed to believing it was merely physical, I discovered what worked. I returned to my previous level of activity. The “runner’s high” is back.

In this six year journey, I was told many times, “It’s just the way it’s going to be. You have to learn to live with it.” But, I believed it was possible to return to work, to clean my house, to return to activities I enjoyed. More was possible if only I would keep trying, keep searching.

Mental illness can be masked behind very real physical symptoms. On the flip side, physical symptoms which defy medical diagnosis are often dismissed as being psychologically based. I believe individuals should pursue a physical diagnosis, seek counseling, and attend to spiritual and social matters. If physical symptoms persist, a decision should be made. Is it possible that paying attention to physical symptoms hinders recovery? If a person feels safe in assuming symptoms are not physiologically based, a course of recovery should be pursued.  Make a plan and stick with it. Results will not happen quickly. But full recovery is possible.

I wanted to take a moment to share my story and individual struggle with mental illness, the system we all live in and why it is important now more than ever to advocate on behalf of those living with various mental illnesses. My name is Dan Olson and I have been involved in mental health and treatment in one form or another for the past 25 years. I was removed from the home as a child due to severe physical and mental abuse. I placed in various foster and group homes because I was born into a cycle of poverty and alcohol abuse and when removed from my mother’s care, there was no support system there for me. This was the early 90s and I was acting out at the time due to severe mental trauma and was diagnosed as ADHD and placed on medications. None of the juvenile treatment programs was able to break through to me but they did plant some positive seeds that were able to bear some fruit in the future. My rebellion and lack of structure led me to harder juvenile corrections more focused on punitive philosophy and eventually my actions led me to the State Correctional Facility. From that point on for many years I was lost in the system, lost in my own mind and anger. But I had hope. I had a child and he stuck with me always in the back of my mind. I was determined to not allow him to succumb to the same problems I had, I was committed to being a father and self-improvement.  It was a struggle and many mistakes have been made on the way but I earned a Clinical Psychology Degree, and through the intellectual understanding of my mental blocks I was able to overcome them.  I wish I could say that education is the complete answer but I don’t believe anything is so simple. My education introduced me to ideas and concepts that continue to place me in direct opposition of authority. I belief in the mental health field today there is entirely too much focus on profits and pharmaceuticals.  This knowledge and struggle against what inevitably can only be described as the double bind of society and attempt to solve an unsolvable problem led me to have a psychotic breakdown. To those familiar I relate this breakdown to Carl Jungs own psychological experiment into neurosis. I had more run in’s with the police and at one point was actually beaten and tazed.  Today I am diagnosed as some latent form of schizophrenia. I can if I am not aware spiral into psychotic episodes that seem to be based in ideas of dissociation. With the support of my psychiatrist we are on a test run of allowing me to be in charge of my own treatment using principles of mindfulness. It is my hope that possibly I can discover new ideas and treatments for mental disease while continuing to work on my own self-improvement and recovery.  I hope to be returning to education soon and to the MASC (Masters of Communications Studies) studies program at Edinboro. I have found that intellectual stimulation, goals, and sobriety great benefits to my attitude and mental health. I hope that I can be a beacon to others struggling through the same dark rooms I once did and can combine my street knowledge and prison experience with my Clinical Psychology and Communication Studies to become the kind of leader and advocate people suffering with mental illness deserve.