My twin sister disappeared in 1982. I was severely abused by both my parents. I was also a gymnast and dancer from age 4 to 14 years old. I am now 37. I am diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Autism Spectrum Disorder, Bipolar, and an eating disorder. I am thankful to a specialized program in my state where I live. The program only has 6 clients and is a program I will be in for the rest of my life. Before entering this program I was in the hospital more than I was out of it. I have currently been out of the hospital for 3 months. I have no family support. I was lucky the 6 years I was in foster care, I was not abused in any placement, but was bounced around a lot. I have lived in many group homes and apartment programs. I live in the Intensive Residential Treatment (IRT) apartments. I have my own apartment with 24hour/ 7day a week in home staffing. This program is not time limited. I have been told I will be in this program for the rest of my life. If I can make it through what I have then there is hope for everyone else. 

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.

I was first diagnosed with major depressive disorder when I was 13 years old. By the time I reached 16, a few more labels were added to the MMD. These included borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, post traumatic stress disorder and OCD. Fun stuff. Medication was the only treatment available at that time. My parents decided the best place for me to be was hospitalized in the mental health unit of a large teaching hospital. I felt and thought the reason for such a drastic change in my life was for their convenience, not what was best for me.

Little background, my father, a surgeon, was diagnosed with severe bipolar disorder, treatment was medication. When the medication no longer controlled the symptoms, he would stop working and sit staring blankly at the television for about 3 months. At some point, my mother would notice and send him out of town for a series of ECT. He would return from his “vacation” zombie like but after a few weeks or so, would return to his baseline personality. He always had a flat affect most of the time.

So, apparently I inherited the gene or genes for mental illness of one name or another.

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My name is Paulissa Kipp.  My address of 1 Paulissa Kipp Place is shared with bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder.  My life has been marked by child abuse, domestic violence, rape and traumatic brain injury.  Each of the things that has happened to me has left a mark and comprises a trauma response and mental health impact that poses a challenge on a daily basis.  

My mental health challenges show up as agitation, a need to know where exits are, severe social anxiety in which I find crowds and the noise associated with them overwhelming, physiological responses to triggers that remind of trauma, a high startle response and at times, nightmares.

Mental health is a part of whole health.  When it is treated as such, individuals are able to move toward wellness.  Recovery and stabilization require many things:  connection versus isolation, sometimes medication, therapy when appropriate, vulnerability to address triggers, breakdowns, warning signs and many other tools.  I have found having a Wellness Recovery Action Plan crucial, art journaling, breathing and grounding exercises, physical exercise, peer support, speaking my truth, medication, meditation, white noise apps and yoga to be parts of my passionate self care that support my well-being.

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My son suffers from PTSD and schizophrenia, he has been trying to see his VA therapists since his recent episode of hearing voices and becoming agitated, he was afraid for himself and his girlfriend. He was told to get in touch with the VA which he did.
To make matters worse he was told that he would have to come into the emergency room, that he could not see his therapist until his next appointment time which was in 3, THREE MONTHS! Three months is unacceptable for someone who suffers Schizophrenia.
The VA has to change their policy on the accessibility to therapists.

I have struggled a majority of my life with mental illness. I have been diagnosed with the following: depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, severe generalized anxiety disorder, postpartum depression, and bipolar disorder. I stand my ground with my battles as they are constantly attacking me, but I am still here. If you or someone needs help, please do not be afraid! I have fought hard to find the right doctors and the right cocktail, do not ever give up! We are all In this battle together, nobody is alone. With love from a battler of this mental madness.  

Hello my name is Ingrid and I am Human! In this cold world, I don’t feel accepted or a human. I have bipolar disorder and post traumatic stress disorder which are mental illnesses. I have accepted this, but people that I come in contact with  look at me as a crazy person, and they dismiss whatever ideas or thoughts that I come up with.

The most resent experience involved my surgery. I went in to have my cysts removed and the doctors and nurses had read my chart and highlighted my disorders. It was used against me and they gave me more of my psy medicine than my pain medication for no reason at all.

I get a better response when people don’t know about my disorder at least they respect me as a human, but why should I hide it? Because of the stigma that comes with it. I have learned recently not to let it discourage me and get me down, but to fight and let people know that you do have a voice, to not be afraid of telling your story and being the best you can be.

I would have never wrote anything like this before in my life being diagnosed almost 15 years now. I am human and would love to get my story out. I really don’t do as well writing as I do expressing myself to someone, but if anyone is interested in hearing my mental illness journey.

I will be happy to share my story. I will be happy to share it with the hopes of helping someone break this awful stigma. Sorry if I didn’t cover everything in detail, but I hope it helped. I thank you in advance for even taking the time to read this. It feels really good just sharing.

I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, and PTSD a little over 2 months ago; these last 2 months have been the easiest months of my life. Before I was diagnosed, I was constantly cutting myself, or starving myself and I never felt good enough.

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In August, 2011 I received a final email from my mother who has Borderline Personality Disorder, is extremely narcissistic and also has OCD. She was no longer speaking to me and was going to remember the “good time” we had in the past.  

The very next day, my sister called.  She has Bipolar Disorder and an Anxiety Disorder and struggles with alcohol abuse.  She had been in therapy and uncovered her child sexual abuse, perpetrated by my father, who has Bipolar Disorder and an Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder and recovering alcoholic.  

That was when my world began to slip.  I always had ADHD and an Anxiety Disorder, with traits of OCD.  My meds seemed to stop working.  

Finally, October of 2012, during an EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization) session, my own sexual abuse was uncovered.  The memories that I had repressed for so many years came flooding back, traumatizing me all over again.  I developed PTSD from the memories and my therapist abandoned me 8 weeks after my abuse came to light, because I wasn’t miraculously getting better with the EMDR.

I found another EMDR therapist and I’ve been working with her for about a year now.  I still jerk my feet just a little when laying down and sometimes my shoulder and head as well, just slightly.  Negative events can cause a relapse of stronger symptoms, BUT I’m getting better.  I’m also a therapist myself and just finished the training for EMDR and now help people who have experienced trauma.  I’ve learned a lot and know what NOT to do as a therapist!

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.