Let’s call me Rosa. I was adopted at age 2 from a Native American mother and had been beaten and starved. My adoptive mother suffered from untreated BPD. Her husband physically, pschologically, and sexually abused me from ages 12-17. I knew I was gay way beforehand and between the abuse and that, I attempted suicide twice. He would call me fat during the abuse and I developed bulimia.

As I got older, I would cut myself and bounce from one relationship to another…I always left a partner before she could leave me..I put myself into therapy for several years in my 20’s..I spent an entire year celibate and went vegan, alcohol-free, etc..Again I drifted…Then I met Julie. I had a few rough years where I fell back into my old patterns. At age 40 my new therapist suggested medication (as a couple had done before) and said, “If you were diabetic, you wouldn’t be ashamed to take insulin, would you?” The medication stigma I held of “giving up” went away and I officially began recovery.

My wife and I have been together 11 years now, and I have been on meds for 8. My daily antidepressent and anxiety meds do not solve everything, as there is no “cure,” but it keeps me stabilized. If you are on the fence about seeking treatment, just remember that you may have a mental illness, but it does NOT define you!  Also, asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but rather a show of strength. Get help and get better…You deserve no less.