My husband has suffered from mental illness for approximately 30 years for paranoid schizophrenia,manic bipolar,anxiety,depression and now diagnosis e early stage Alzheimer disease.

  He has never received adequate treatment when he would get off his medication and get in trouble with the law and then sent to prison. 

  He got off his medication because he couldn’t find help to pay for it then he called 2 state hospitals and a crisis center for help they told us that if he’s not suicidal the could not help so eventually he went out of his mind and committed a crime now after 3 years awaiting trial pursuing the insanity defense he was basically force to enter  a plea of guilty to avoid a possible life sentence for habitual offender. yesrsI mandatory .but we are seeking time served and civil commitment to mental hospital and get him treatment without incarceration because he’s never been given treatment just thrown in jail and released w 30 day medication and become I’ll and right back In prison system Now he’s awaiting a sentencing hearing where the judge can give him 0-15 .can anyone speak for him at his sentencing hearing to make the judge understand the importance of treatment for his mental illness and incarceration is not the answer to this problem

Hello all,

My name is Isabel and I have been diagnosed with Manic Bipolar Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Schizophrenia, Depression, Paranoia and have pretty bad anxiety. I suppose I thought of writing this because having a mental illness eats up the joy in life. I have been struggling since I could remember, especially because these “disorders” are apart of my genetic history. Family members have given themselves to alcohol and drugs ; unfortunately that includes myself. There is so much I want spill because it has taken me a long time to realize that there is millions of people out there too that suffer from disorders. At certain occasions I feel alone in this world because of the illness(s). Please for the sake of yourself, loved ones even strangers at times, there is going to be hope. Self harm does harm, food isn’t always comforting, and drugs/alcohol are never the answer. 

Just know that someone is always willing to listen, especially me. The hotline that NAMI provides is AMAZING! Use it to your best advantages. Love you guys.

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.

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I have been struggling with mental illness for most of my 55 years on this planet. I have seen so many therapists over the years that there is no way I could begin, to remember their names. My diagnoses include PTSD, depression, anxiety, agoraphobia, ADD, and so on and so on. But that is not why I decided to post my story. In 2010 I married my soul-mate who also suffers from several mental health issues. Every day is a struggle, I am not going to lie. But in 2012 I decided to take a huge step forward and return to school. All the way growing up I was a mediocre student at best. Doing the bare minimum of work to pass my classes. So, when I went to take the college entrance exam I figured well, my idea of going back to college would be dead right then and there. But something incredible happened not only did I pass I ended up being placed in the honors classes. I was convinced that this was a mistake, a one time fluke that could never be replicated. Well I was wrong. I ended up leaving the community college because it became too hard for me with my agoraphobia. But the story didn’t end there. I subsequently enrolled at Southern New Hampshire University in their online program. I am not going to lie, sometimes its incredibly hard to stay focused, to keep my eye on the prize. I only am a half-time student and it is taking me a really long time to move through the courses. But the good news is I am more than halfway there and for most of my classes I receive A’s and B’s but I have had one failure which is why my GPA is only 2.72. And I just wanted to say if I can do this so can you, if only you give it a try. Oh yeah, by the way, my major…..Well it’s Psychology of course with a focus on Addictions.

I want to wish anyone who may be reading this good luck with your future too. And remember you can do it too!!!

Kathy

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.

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Hello my name is Amanda I have had mental illness for multiple years from manic depression, PTSD, and many other things that I am not sure what they are yet am on medications for but they are not really helping that much. I have been to the hospital many times and have lost everything plus everyone that means anything to me that I love or care about since I went to using drugs since I didn’t know how to deal with my mental illness. I hold everything in and it’s very hard for me to open up or deal with things or talk to people face to face or in group settings yet I’m currently trying to get help for that in fact today I’ve been sober for 25 days. I still need a lot of therapy and a lot of support plus need to get into some group yet was just referred to your guys website from a staff member from the treatment center that I’m at right now so I’ve been doing some research and thought that I would reach out and write a little about myself and maybe you guys could reach back out to me and help me along in my recovery. 

I have three sons with mental illnesses. One who has schizoaffective Co occuring and PTSD disorders, My other son has paranoid schizophrenia and ADHD, my third son has severe anxiety disorder. They are ages 22, 24 and 26 and were diagnosed within the past three years. Treatment has been successful for two of my boys but my oldest struggles with staying on a treatment plan thus ending up in and out of jail. Though the legal system has been disheartening and often times infuriating, it has given me a strong passion to help those who fall victim to such hopelessness found when incarceration is considered a treatment plan. My husband and I are now in the process of starting a non-profit to help felons get the physical, emotional and spiritual support needed after incarceration in order to break the crippling cycle that leads to hopelessness.

I have struggled myself with major depression and anxiety my whole life and continue to maintain my illness daily. I am 42 and I am a professional administrative assistant and office manger. I left my job after three years because my employer did not allow me to seek medical help when necessary. I had a nervous breakdown and my doctor insisted me to seek treatment but my employer did not understand why I needed time off. It was humiliating and caused me to go into a deeper downward spiral.

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I first began to experience symptoms of bipolar disorder in my early teens. i was put on Lithium while in a hospital and right away the almost catatonic depression I was in began to ease. From there on in, it seemed medication would be the answer to everything that was wrong with me. For years i was on every depression medication available, tricyclics, MAO inhibitors–when one stopped working, I was simply put on something else. Then things got better and I needed no medication through my twenties. i still struggled with lows, but there were no suicide attempts, I was able to live and love, to work and, for the most part, even enjoy life. Then, at the age of 29 I had a manic episode and my medication nightmare began.

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