I got married for the second time at 38 to a very talented man, who teaches his craft to local students. We both came into the relationship with depression and anxiety, and bonded over our love of music, books, film, and an old story of a kiss we shared in high school. We opened a business together and developed a beautiful community of students and their families. This is not one of those stories that was a fairytale from the beginning and one day turned dark. We shared so many normal days, like most families, and there were beautiful days, too, but there was also an undercurrent of abuse that was there from the beginning. I learned years later in therapy that what I experienced was emotional abuse, which is a form of domestic violence. On the worst day, I also experienced sexual assault, although I wouldn’t fully feel what happened to me emotionally or physically until years later.

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My name is Abbey and mental illness is something that I’ve struggled with for years. I’ve been diagnosed with several mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder and Bipolar II. I’ve found peace and comfort from sharing my story through writing blogs and poetry, and sharing my story on social media sites. My goal in life is to inspore someone, anyone, and let them know that they are not alone in their struggles and that I want to support anyone in need of support and to be a mentor and someone others can look to for guidance. Even though I  still struggle greatly, I find hope and comfort from sharing my story. I hope that I can be a light in someone else’s life and be there for someone in the same way others have been for me. Support from friends and family that I can relate to truly has saved my life and made me feel safe when talking about my struggles, and I would love to pass down my personal struggles to help guide others through their struggles as well.

My names Chandel and I’m 22 years old. I suffer from depression, anxiety and anxious thinking. It is real. You feel alone ,lost, scared and worried ALL the time. I’m happy that there’s people who understand this mental disease, who actually want to help. This is good!! I’m also thankful for my mental health therapist who is helping with my depression and anxiety. I’m tired of suffering and being worked for no reason!!

#Curestigma

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.

When I found out I had a mental illness, it was already so bad. I had tried to commit suicide twice and already got addicted to self harm. I even used prescription drugs to overdose. I got diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety. I was out on this medication that made me hallucinate and my doctor would not take me off of it. I switched doctor’s and now I am on my 5th medication and I have to take a sleep medication, also.

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Hi my name is Linda and I am a 51 year old who has been struggling with depression for most of my life.  I would like to share my story of my struggle with mental illness and suicide.  I have become BOLD with regards to sharing my battle with depression and suicide in hopes that I may reach at least one person and help them with their struggle or help someone to understand what it is like to have this disease.

In high school, the depression presented itself in a big way and I really began to struggle with self-worth and hopelessness.  Then suicidal thoughts started coming to the forefront.  Back in the 80’s depression and suicide were things that most people didn’t talk about and would keep behind closed doors.  I really didn’t understand what was going on.  All I knew was that I didn’t like myself and I felt that I was no good to anyone.  At that point, all I could think about was ridding myself of the hurt and pain I was feeling. 

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I refuse to stay silent about mental health and how it affects me.  I was paralyzed by the stigma all of my life I started speaking out and talking my depression/anxiety openly online. Through my writing I have been able to reach so many people. I remember when I first started sharing, I heard “You are not alone” and it was such a powerful statement because I had felt so alone all my life, I felt ostracized and made to feel that my mental illness made me inferior to others. “You are not alone” soon became my motto.  When I share my struggles and my story, not only do I get the support and love I need but someone else is helped as well by reading my words, it’s a powerful feeling to go from feeling stigmatized, mocked, alone and helpless to finally being a voice for others and getting support back as a result, it’s a responsibility that I don’t take lightly.

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As a surviving parent of a suicide victim it is more than obvious that further steps need to be taken to start turning this epidemic of shame surrounding mental health issues leading to suicide. I honestly never realized how much stigma, shame, and limitations there can be in regards to seeking help and the actual help that is offered. In a day an age where on the surface it may be become easy to avoid the bigger and more real issues that lead to a deeper and wider gap in what might be considered “acceptable”. The truth is that it is all acceptable. We can not change who and what people or not can we change chemical composition to change those facts biologically. What we can do is offer; open ears for really hearing, open eyes to see beyond the surface, open minds for understanding, open hearts for compassion and a short and simple three digit number to call for crisis intervention and resources. I can’t even imagine how many lives this would change in the future. It makes sense and is needed. I don’t know if this applies nation wide but in Oregon if we can call 911 for police, fire, and medical, a three digit number for road reports, another provides a resource directory, another to look up someone’s contact info and so on. Why not an easy access number for mental health crisis??? It’s just a shame non of us thought of this or proposed this as an idea much, much sooner. 

Anxiety and depression is real. I am one of them. Don’t be afraid to seek help. A lot of people go years without seeking professional help. I was one of them. At the age of 37 I was hospitalized for a week I was officially diagnosed with anxiety and depression. Losing my children in the midst isn’t making it easier. Please seek out a local psyc hospital or mental health professional. I hope me coming out publicly will encourage others to do the same.

I am someone who has lost people to suicide and almost lost my self too. I have always been told to suck it up until I spoke out about my abuse. I have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Ending the stigma is beyond important to me because if it wasn’t so hard for people to talk about, maybe my teammate, classmate, and grandmother would still be here. I know they were hurting, but I only knew when it was too late. Ending the stigma would save lives, the way speaking up saved me. I have been clean from self harm for almost a year now and have gotten the help I need. There is always hope, even when you feel as if it is the end. Your story isn’t over. I am living proof that it gets better.