Hey there,

I recall having an underlying depression in my teenage years. I developed extreme anxiety and sever depression in college. It lingers to this day and I sometimes have suicidal thoughts. I have developed many, many coping mechanisms and become a substantially more functioning person. Still, it has always been a stigma-and that has been a shame. I’m glad this forum exists to express my mental illness. I also believe the extremely sensitive person that I am-that allows for the mental illness- is also what makes me creative and compassionate. So, I am also glad for sensitivity! My mental illness/symptoms are often good barometers for when I need to make change and take action-so they can be helpful as well!

This the continuation from my first submission , it got sent on an accident and it wasn’t completed.  So what I was saying is when I read Harvest time on NAMI’s not alone page when she talked about the Good Seeds & Bad Seeds , I understood what she meant plant good seeds and receive a good Harvest, and throw a way the Bad Seeds an don’t pass them on to anyone.  I realize that that is the truest statement that I read , I realized that that is what I’ve been doing all my life, with my children , husband, with everyone and allowing others to throw there Bad seeds on me.  So With that being said, I’m going to do my very best to cope and plant good seeds and throw away the bad.  I going to go to this DUI school  an get my license back , continue my therapy ,continue my Meds and most of  all plant good seeds an take care of myself.  and know truly,  believe that there is no HOPLESS SITUATION. 

Coping with anxiety and depression has been a constant in my life.  I’d developed decades worth of coping skills and silently fought my way through, wondering why things always seemed to be more of a struggle for me.  In the summer of 2017, after having 3 babies in 3 and ½ years and outside responsibilities mounting beyond what I could manage, I suffered a debilitating bout with anxiety.  I couldn’t sleep or eat, I couldn’t function.  As I read and studied and prayed and reached out for help, I decided to hope.  For the first time in my life, I discovered hope isn’t just a feeling that comes, it is a decision, an action, a verb.  I chose to cling to the knowledge that things would get better, and they did, and they always will.

Sending love and hope and healing out into the universe.  Keep fighting.

**Trigger Warning**

Hi. I used to be really mentally ill. I have had panic attacks, the worst case of obsessive compulsive disorder, bi-polar, anxiety and depression. I have struggled with substance abuse.  I have struggled with self-harm and suicide. One year I tried to kill myself multiple times. 

Treatment:

Coping- I have learned several coping skills. They really help.

Recovery- I was inpatient at a mental hospital. It really helped.

Therapy- I usually see my therapist every other week. It really helps.

Medication- My medication really helps too.

I hate the stigma!

My entire life since I can remember I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression. High school is when it started to manifest the most, and so on through college and my early adult years (now). Each stage I have dealt with these issues in unhealthy coping mechanisms weather it be self harm, reckless behavior or most recently and certainly the most heavily with drinking. What I didn’t realize was the last two years of my college career into my first year as a working adult was that I had fully developed Bipolar tendencies. It wreaked havoc on my life, my relationships, my work, my finances and especially my self worth. Periods of manic ups and depressive downs had me feeling absolutely crazy. I was reckless, and quite out of control. My reputation was at stake and my life was in trouble. While you may be apprehensive in the moment or not able to help yourself, what I have to share is that when you’re ready, you must. Since getting myself to my doctor and having a candid conversation, she’s prescribed me with the correct medications and I’ve been working on myself consistently. I can say without a doubt that I am absolutely 100% more functional and stable while being correctly diagnosed and helped by medical professionals. There is help and there are solutions! Let someone know you need help, whoever it might be, I didn’t tell anyone except my doctor and proceeded not to tell anyone until I knew my treatment worked. Not every day will be perfect, but It IS absolutely worth it and you can get better and live a stable life. Please help yourself if yourself is all you have. You are worth it and you are able to find stability. You are NOT alone. Brie

Hi everyone! This is my story of my mental health journey and how I am still coping with my past. When I was in seventh grade I started self harming. I have always struggled with social anxiety and making friends. It was very minor and started getting worse when my older brother attempted suicide. I started having therapy that didn’t help. When I got into high school everything started getting worse. I started being a top runner in cross country and track and had a lot of pressure on my shoulders to do well. I started self harming again to deal with the stress. My self harming included cutting and anorexia. My sophomore year of high school my best friend was put into a traumatizing situation with a trafficking ring. I was the adult in her situation because none of the adults at our school were much help. I developed ptsd as a result of the things that happened. I attempted suicide once my sophomore year and was in the hospital for a week. I started better therapy, but was still dealing with bad coping skills. My eating disorder got severe and I almost died during my junior cross country season. I continued to cut severely and was put into treatment for 2.5 months. When I got discharged I started to have ptsd attacks, nightmares, and anxiety attacks. I also got diagnosed with OCD during this time. Since I got discharged I have attempted twice. I am now writing this as a junior in high school during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am still struggling everyday, but am trying to be strong for my best friend.

I live continuously with the uncertainty of my destiny but I strive everyday to change the outcome of the stigma attached to my disorders. BPD, ADHD, major depression and generalized anxiety. I could play the victim and blame others for my outcome but that was only an outline or precursor of who I was to become, I’ve had to learn and establish coping skills to tame the beast. Do I lose control, absolutely! Am I still alive, obviously. The problem with being a high functioning BPD is I am overly self aware of my triggers and constantly screaming inside STOP STOP what you are doing this is insane and unacceptable. Anyone who knows has BPD knows that, that inner voice is not enough to stop what you are doing and go back to the rational way of thinking instead of the emotional.

Just like the hulk, he is always angry. The constant turmoil of keeping the hulk under wraps can be in itself exhausting. No normal person will fully understand the struggle but I want to do my best to explain both sides of the spectrum. The hulk is a coping mechanism, a tool we use to either force real abandonment or test the limits to its last string. If someone leaves because we force their hand it’s just a prophecy we’ve forced to come true and if someone stays and endures are wrath we BPDs need to take responsibility that we are no longer hurting ourselves anymore  but destroying someone else’s psyche in the process. That’s not acceptable and has to be addressed.

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Here I am , looking back over my life ,I am 48 years young and getting better everyday with coping. It’s taken some time for me to admit I suffer with anxiety and this has converted into many illnesses such as endometriosis, intersticial cistitus, skin disorders, breathing problems etc

I feel I haven’t been given the right treatment and often felt totally alone in my search for better health and well being. I’ve studied many alternative therapies and taken all sorts of treatments , finally last year I went to a psycologist and did a workshop on emotional liberation, I gave up all medication except for my heart pills. So far , I have become a meditation addict !!! well thats better than being doped all day and in bed thinking what is my life all about, why have I suffered so much ??? Basically, in my opinion it all comes down to balance, healthy eating , exercise, positive thinking, learning to not get so stressed over minor things , not to be so obsessive and learn to say NO. I love my work but I don’t over do it , teaching for me is now such an important part of my life ,but  also being creative , seeing friends ,having ME time, listening to music, writing,taking my dog for a walks and so many other things. It’s necessary to keep active but feel calm.

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     Diagnosed bipolar at age 15, I saw many therapists and psyc doctors. Back then, most professionals pushed medications and didn’t offer any resources or therapy. I struggled with depression, mania, OCD, and severe anxiety. It wasn’t until several years later that resources for coping became available.

     I was always stigmatized and my peers often said to me “it’s all in your head, just snap out of it”. Being labeled and told that it was all in my head was very hurtful because I knew I couldn’t control it. Because I didn’t have any coping skills, through my teens and up through my early 20’s, I lost a lot of friends, burned a lot of bridges and disappointed my family. Amongst many other terrible things. 

     Fast forward to age 34. Through therapy, medication, and groups, I am feeling “average” for the first time in my life. I don’t like the word “normal”. I replace that word with “average”. 

     The most helpful coping mechanisms that I have learned are: mindfulness, mindful meditation, and dialectical behavioral therapy.

     There is no shame in getting help for yourself or a loved one. Seeking help does not mean that you’re weak or there’s something wrong with you. Never be embarrassed to seek or learn new ways to improve your quality of life. There will always be people in the world that will stigmatize. This is just because they don’t understand. We mustn’t get angry, defensive or sad about these people. We need to be educating them instead. 

     You are NOT alone! 1 in 5 people are affected by a mental illness. Together, we can release the stigmas, educate, and help others.