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.

My son Michael has been suffering from schizophrenia for the past 4-5 years. It’s become a vicious cycle for him and he doesn’t see what the medication does for him mentally when he is taking them. One day he just stops and by that time he has already digressed from taking his MEDICATION AFTER THE FACILITY HAD TO OBTAIN A COURT ORDER TO FORCES MEDS ON HIM. 

We trust that the doctors and staff know what they’re doing, so that he can be discharged home, but after three weeks then a month then another month this is the cycle he’s been living with and we don’t even think he remembers all the times he’s been sent to the emergency room because Lord only knows that we can’t force him to go on his own, so we have to call our local police department that really does help us and they take their time with him after my husband and I talk to them first and let them know he is not a threat.

Michael has started all over again not eating, drinking, showering and its been going on weeks and we need more help besides hospitalization for dehydration and his blood pressure. The ER doctor get his heart rate below 100 they send Michael to another psych facility. Suddenly he’s taking his meds that his father gives to him everyday and then he wants to take them on his own, but he doesn’t follow up with his doctor appointment with his psychiatrist and it starts all over again. This has been the cycle for some years now. Help is not here. We can’t force him to take his meds. Lord only knows what’s going on I just pray he gets the help that is needed because where we have insurance for him can only do so much, he needs more help than the love and support we give him.

Hi. I am sharing this story in the hopes that others have had similar experiences and would like to know if you had a successful resolution. I have a history of family mental illness. One brother has schizophrenia and the other is showing signs of mental illness for some time now, however, his is complicated with abusing medication which continue to be prescribed by his psychiatrist. Anyway….he lives with my parents and last week he had an episode where he was at the house behaving very dilusional and aggressive toward my parents. My dad called 911 in the hopes that they would come and help calm him and get him to a psychiatric facility. In the course of the call my brother ran out of the house, jumped in a car, and took off. My dad followed him and told the 911 dispatcher where he was. Shortly later, three police cars pulled my brother over and instead of trying to help get him to a facility - they arrested him for a DUI because he admitted to taking medication that day. Kept him in jail in a freezing cold detox cell overnight until my parents could bail him out. Now, we are trying to battle a DUI on top of getting him the proper psychiatric/rehab treatment. Anyone else have similar experiences? What did you do?

My son was diagnosed with schizophrenia 2 and a half years ago. Then was diagnosed with a brain abscess 6 months later. His thinking has never been clear since that time. It had been a battle to sort out how to help and get the right meds.
Today I was walking into Walgreens and saw a disheveled young man gleefully chugging Listerine with no shoes. I wanted to get him some shoes but when walked into the store I learned he had stolen the mouthwash and the police had been called.
I also know he has a mom or dad who worries intensely about him. They are afraid of just this.
I hope my beautiful boy keeps letting us help him. And people within the system step up to give him the help he so deserves.
Boy, did the guy on the street need that. I am hopeful that other people saw and understand how complex mental illness is and how hard it is to get help.

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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No one ever lives a perfect life and we struggle with our own battles. At times it can overwhelm us and it becomes too late for those who not seek help. Lives are affected and changed forever. The start of my depression is unknown but my life is always in the look for meaning. After graduating college and trouble finding job I became involved in the mental health system. My battle with depression resurfaced as old issued reappeared with my daily clients. I am fortunate enough in my life to have support to have people who love and care for me. They give me strength and courage. With that strength and courage I was able to admit and begin to heal the wounds of depression. I continue now with therapy and continue with medication. There is no stigma in terms of mental disorder and no shame. You can carry on live a normal life. Believe in yourself seek the help you need and receive the help you need. Only thing I can ask as I see the day to day workings of the mental health system is more can be done. With growing violence, bullying, increased suicide rates, and deaths from substances more can be done. Day to day work there is success, but it is little. We are a revolving door for our clients giving them little resources and few chances to survive. Only hope is to continue to return or to continue to fail once they leave the hospital. If anything we need programs for long term hospitalizations.

The recent incident in Santa Barbara, Ca. brings a lot of thoughts, to share.  For one, the National Mental Health System is weak and broken in this country.  The laws are a blur, action when needed is far removed.  This serious epidemic continues to escalate right beneath our eyes, and we do nothing.  For example in this recent situation, the cops show up at this guys house before the killings.  Do they search it no, better yet do they access a national gun control manifest to see if he owns guns, no.  Does anybody jump in and put this kid under watch, lock him up, no.  Why because with the screwed up laws in our country you can’t only if suicide attempt is being made.  His father and mother knew he was off, yet did they grab anybody of authority, mental health specifically and raise the awareness for action to take place, no.  Or let’s say they did, could an authority detain and examine this individual, maybe look at his videos and manifest, what about his 3 room mates that were killed?  How does this stuff go on right underneath our noses, and not addressed?  Again no proactive approach to these type of situations, no program in place, no funding to extend the program where it needs to be, including for our veterans who come back from the battlefield, torn and tortured mentally.  Not enough, never to soon, too late!  All of it. 

When is this country going to wake up and realize that there is a problem facing us in every sector, a problem that needs to be aggressively addressed and not handled delicately rather abruptly and swiftly, and without hesitation.  All the victims in this country, lives leveled by murder and torture, some could have been saved if we as a country took Mental Health with the seriousness that it requires.  If more people got involved and actually talked to one another rather than text or emailed or social media.  A convergence directed at those who need help could just save those who have died unnecessarily.

I blame the government Federal, State and Local.  For not spending the money that is needed to put programs and shove awareness in each and every one of our faces.  Too much emphasis on gay, racial or other political agenda.  All of us are affected by this, and might just be an innocent victim someday.  How about a national, and local hotline specifically for these kind of problems.  Rather we have 911 lines for every single incident that happens, no specific for Mental Health problems and I am talking the whole circle of problems that are Mental Health related.

People react to stress differently, we don’t know what goes on inside another’s mind, we don’t know if one will “act out” their twisted thoughts or they are just thoughts.  But in this case, the guy had been posting videos, wrote 140 pages, purchased multiple firearms and lived with 3 roommates.  HELLO, enough signs for someone, or some institution to have taken a hint.

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.

And I knew I wasn’t right 

So I planned on going that Friday night 

And I knew I wasn’t okay

Making it the perfect place for me to stay 

See, for most, a mental hospital isn’t a choice 

It’s one of those things where you are left without a voice 

Brought there suddenly against your will

Then before you know it, you are given a bunch of random pills 

But for me, it was where I was supposed to be

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