Everyday it’s a struggle for those living with Mental Health. I am also living with Mental Health. It is difficult to live on a day to day basis with Mental Health because you don’t know what could go wrong. You have no idea what’s going on with you. Constantly hearing others call you “CRAZY” “ATTENTION SEEKER” etc. But that’s not YOU. Nobody understands what we really go through inside. No one knows our PAIN , our SUFFERING, even our FEELINGS. In order for anyone to understand us, they have to understand why we act and feel this way. We did not chose to live this way , it chose US. Together we have to stand up and help others just like us. Be STRONG, Be COURAGEOUS,Have HOPE,Have FAITH , most importantly just Be YOU ! STAND UP FOR THOSE LIVING WITH MENTAL HEALTH 

TThey need to improve the Health and Mental Health Care System.  I have physical conditions that also effec my Mental Health . They don’t have a long term facility that can handle both . They have this thinking that they can treat 1 but not the other . The short term Mental Health facilities are not trained to deal with people such as myself with physical conditions and vice versa . I am a Borderline Personality Disorder  meaning trates of a little of everything , I have PTSD , Major Depression , Short Term Memory  and physical conditions.  All that money for a wall can be used to improve the Health and Mental Health Care System.  Nevada needs like a State Hospital for long term for people like me . I feel a change for the better is needed.  

A response to well intentioned Mental Health Reform Act of 2015

Aloha.  Here in “paradise” our mental health treatment problem is lack of access to any inpatient mental health/dual diagnosis treatment.  There are at least two major problems, specifically, severe shortage of inpatient treatment services, lack of funding for those services that exist (basically revolving door)  and the courts’ interpretation of laws that defer to pts civil rights not to be treated.   This also serves the Judiciary which would have to finance treatment if the Courts did mandate it.

Our rural location (a neighbor island) has a public hospital that has closed 7 of its behavioral health beds this year due to funding and staff shortages. The remaining beds are only “acute” beds that are open are for the right “type” of mental health acute admission, specifically, those would be available for a normally medication compliant person who knows they need to be stabilized and who won’t cause undue disruption, specifically NOT someone disruptive and actively in need of detox.

Admission even to acute beds is voluntary. State law only permits a 24 hour or 48 hour hold at the most. After that folks can write a letter requesting discharge and return into harm’s way.

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My mental health is always a 100%. I’m use to that, but others around aren’t.  During school one day, I was told that you should treat mental health problems like any other weakness, but how is that fair??  Mental health is NOT a weakness. At 14 years old I told my mum that I wanted to die, and by the age of 15 I had already tried to kill myself four times. By 16 I was cutting, but now at the age of 21, I’m stronger than I was. I’m not going to say that I know longer feel like killing myself because I sometimes feel like everyone would be better off with out me, but I’m not longer ashamed of who I am. I let nobody bring me down. I am me and I don’t hide away from who I am. I wear my scars as a trophy of what I have over come. I am strong, I am proud, I am beautiful, I am me. 

I’m MERLIN.I have been dealing with mental health issues for many years, more than 25+ .I have taken all different kinds of of meds and have tried to stop taking meds more than 8 times and have ended up in the hospital.a mental health hospital can be a scary place but the people are trained and are there to assist you with your recovery.Since dealing with mental health issues over 25+ years I have decided to turn the tables on MENTAL HEALTH and train to be a PEER SUPPORT ADVOCATE.i want to help other people dealing with mental health issues and let them know that there is light at the end of the road and what they are going through is only temporary.i want to share my faith and help educate,inpire,coach and be an example to others.medication and counseling 

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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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This is more of an opinion piece than my story but still worth the read if you ask me. “Evil Among Us: Changing the Mental Health Conversation.”

           As a writer with bipolar disorder I’m always looking for opportunities to change the conversation about mental health in our society. I haven’t necessarily always thought this way though. In fact, prior to my diagnosis I viewed and talked about mental health in the same way many still do today. I never really believed those with mental health issues could bring anything to society. I didn’t think they could contribute like everyone else. I discriminated against those with mental health issues because of the negative stigma and stereotypes I held.

            Now that I’m on the other side I’ve more than realized that was the completely wrong perspective to take on mental health. This being the case I set out to try and clear up this common misconception. I did this by trying to change the conversation about mental health by focusing on what contributions go unnoticed within society from us. Especially when talking about art, music, writing and anything else dealing with creativity. However it seems this conversation somehow always gets lost in the dark dialogue about mental health.

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