From a very young age I’ve struggled with suicidal thoughts and depression. In elementary school I was bullied. It got to much and I attempted to end my life. I refused treatment up until I was 16. My pediatrician found evidence of self harm on my body. To keep I long story short, I did receive treatment. There have been ups and downs in my recovery. For me its taken a few attempts at treatment to get to where I am today. My message to anyone struggling is to speak up. Please get help! There are websites, hotlines, school counselors that you can talk to…etc. It can be scary to speak up but its the first step to getting to a better place. You may think the sadness will last for ever but trust me when I say it doesn’t have to.
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Swimming Saved My Life
I’ve gotten so many private messages asking me what caused this
recent positive change in my mental health that I’ve lost count. The
answer is simple. Exercise. Whether you struggle with a mental illness
or not, exercise is something we all need in our lives to stay healthy.
Being diagnosed with a goody bag of mental disorders and then seeking
treatment, taking medication, and getting support from my family/friends
are all things that help me survive. But I don’t want to just survive…I
want to live! Bringing back intense exercise into my life has pulled me
out of my dark, lonely cave and taken me from simply existing to really
living for the first time in my life.
You don’t have to train
like a professional athlete, but breaking a sweat on a regular basis
will make a huge difference in how you feel both physically and
mentally. The fact that so many of us separate our mind and body makes
it difficult to see exercise as a way to keep your brain healthy. Change
how you view exercising and staying active. Choose to look at it as a
way to make your brain healthy and happy instead of viewing it as a way
to help you look a certain way/squeeze into those jeans that used to fit
when you were in high school.
From a Dark Hole to My Redemption and Light
Hello, I have always thought that sharing my story with the mental health community is important to bring hope to others that are just like me.
I’m a 37 year old divorced mother of two boys. I have been in therapy of some kind or another since I was 7 years old. Mental illness runs in my family as well as substance abuse addiction. I believe I was born with my many disorders that progressed and worsened as I got older, abused illegal drugs, prescribed medication and had my children. In my early childhood I showed all the many signs of OCD. I also grew up in an extremely chaotic family where my mother suffered terribly with her own mental illness that was never acknowledged or treated and an emotionally absent father. My two older siblings coped with this by using and abusing drugs and my older sister was put into rehab when I was seven. My older brother simply moved away and is still an addict today covering up his own mental health issues. My younger sister was extremely emotionally disturbed and would act out violently towards my parents but especially towards me. She would later become a drug addict for many years and thankfully entered recovery 4 ½ years ago.
About 3:00am: As a society, we would like to believe that we have emerged into a daily receipt of mental illness minus the stigma of the past. However, although people might appear more comfortable with mental illness because more people seem to be in therapy and taking medication, comfort does not = acceptance. It still disturbs and scares people, so we have not really emerged as far as we would like to assume. There is still a massive umbrella of secrets and forced fronts that remain a constant. It is a perspective that I have lived with for 26 years and I wanted to share my personal journey. As a result, I debuted my solo show 3:00a.m.: Slipping Beyond the Boundaries of a Bruised Mind in June of 2013. It is a reflection of two different phases of bi-polar, insomnia-filled evenings. From Colorado to Chicago… from Ralph Machio to Religion… from Biological Clocks to a Norwegian band obsession… 3:00 a.m. is an interweaving of years gone by and the smorgasbord of segments that have steered me towards my current path. Beast Women Productions will remount “3:00am” for two very special evenings, November 21st & 22nd. Proceeds from these performances will help raise money for NAMI-Chicago, as they continue to help support the families and those who suffer from mental illness.
I’m More Than My Mental Illness
Hi there. My name’s Briana, and I suffer from mental illness. I really hope that sharing an overview of my story will help other people to not feel so alone. Here goes:
I began therapy when I was about seven, and I’ve been in it ever since. I also take a few different medications to help ease my symptoms; in fact, I’m still trying to find the right combo of meds that works for me. I’ve officially been diagnosed with major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and “bipolar tendencies”. My biggest struggle is with my depression, but I also suffer from really paranoid, intrusive thoughts and extreme anxiety. I’ve been hospitalized before because things have gotten bad enough where I’ve been suicidal.
Even though that all sounds very negative, my life has not been dominated by my mental illness. I’ve been able to maintain my mental health well enough to graduate from college with two degrees. If I can do it, I sincerely believe that anyone with the willpower can too. I believe in you and your ability to overcome.
To Put it Simply: I am Mentally Ill
I was recently at a dinner with two friends, when we began discussing mental illness and mental health treatment.
All three of us have openly had periods of struggle with both depression and anxiety, but we all had very different takes on treatment, particularly in regards to antidepressants.
“I wouldn’t go on them,” said the first friend.
“I would go on them, but just until I feel better,” said the second.
My take was the opposite: I have been taking antidepressants on and off my entire life, and since deciding to take them consistently nearly three years ago, my life has turned around. I plan to be on them forever.
Conversations like this are not uncommon. When it comes to mental health issues, opinions are often polarized and strongly held.
I understand that antidepressants are not for everyone; many people are fortunate in not suffering from mental illness, and even many of those who do would prefer to have medication be their last resort.
For me, medication is a part of a more comprehensive treatment plan to avoid falling back into the throes of the major depression that I know always lingers beneath the surface of my delicately balanced equilibrium.
I remember what it feels like to be unwell.
Mental Health: Don’t beware…BE AWARE AND CARE!!!
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:
Living Well In My Community
Hello, my Name is Everetta Moore. I am a productive member of my community. I have been a resident of Baltimore Maryland for 4 years. Prior to moving here I was suffering with a mental illness going back and forth to the hospital. I always had the will power to overcome my disease by just seeing my doctor, getting therapy and taking my medication every day in order to not have a crash.
I was diagnosed in 1990. Since then I was able to hold a job, keep an apartment, go in society and function with normal people. I have more support in my community. I help others to get through on a daily basis when help is needed. I give food to the homeless. I give away my unwanted clothes. I also provide my service by doing volunteer work just to give back to the community.
I am doing wonderful with the help of my doctors, therapist and one on one counseling and take my medication everyday. I have not been admitted in the hospital since 2011. Thats good for me, I usually go in the hospital at least twice a year.
I am happily in love with my apartment. I am proud of who I am and not afraid of talking with others. Once upon a time I would talk to no one i talk with people than i ever had in my whole entire life. I feel safe going our into the public no matter where i have o go. I am so happy just be able to help others that experince what i have echange ideas as to how we can go about making a change for the better in order to become a productive memeber in society.
Bring My Nephew Home
Please help my nephew Zechariah. On July 18, 2017, he was arrested by a police officer. He is 22; he has was diagnosed with mental illness since he was 16. His mom called the police in order to get them to transport him to a mental health facility because he was hallucinating, yelling, and being paranoid. Zack has been prescribed medication for his condition and seeing a therapist, but Instead of the police transporting him to a facility. They beat and tased him and took him to Prison on Monday night. Now they are charging him with assault on police office, resisting arrests, and disorderly conduct. His bail is 100,000; His mom told the officers several time that he was mentally ill, but they told her to “shut up.” #helpForTheMentallyiLL #notPrison Please help get the truth out🙏he doesn’t belong in prison..
As many do, I fought the idea of mental illness and medication. At 50, I finally accepted my diagnoses and began the journey towards stability. Learning all I could about my multiple diagnosises and what I could do to help myself I faithfully began treatment, never missing an appointment nor a dose of prescribed medication.
Middle School & Mental Health
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.