1. I’ve had anxiety since 1st grade, depression since I was 11 years old. This was in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Nobody talked about, understood or even knew about mental illness. It was referred to as “growing pains”.
2. Unfortunately, I wasn’t diagnosed until the early 1990’s; also with compulsive overeating, bulimia, borderline personality disorder, relationship/male dependency, survivor of mental, physical and sexual abuse and rape, codependency, PTSD, attention deficit disorder, self harm (cutting), suicide attempts, etc. 
3. When finally diagnosed, mental illness was still not really recognized by insurance companies. Therefore, receiving proper treatment was limited and frustrating. I’m sad and angry that I wasn’t able to get the help I so desperately needed as a child, my life might have been brighter growing up. 
4. I was finally able to receive therapy along with medications to help cope with mental illness. It is still a struggle. Couple of times my medications stopped being effective and I struggled with depression and anxiety. My doctor and I kept trying different medications and ECT’s (Electro Convulsive Therapy) until we found a combination of medications that worked. The ECT’S didn’t help me, but I know friends that find them very helpful. It gets difficult at times, just keep working with your doctor/therapist and there is a light at the end of the dark tunnel.
5. I’m very glad that children and teens are able to be diagnosed early and can get treatment so they have a chance to a brighter future. Even though we still struggle with the stigma of mental illness, times have sure changed since I was a child.

I have been diagnosed with a long list of mental illnesses. I suffer from severe depression and anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Out of all of them, BPD affects my life the most. I have had BPD my whole life. From pre-school to elementary, I would cry the night before, the morning of, and during school because I wanted to be with my mother. One of the symptoms of BPD is fear of abandonment/paranoia of being abandoned. I did not want to be separated from my mother because I was afraid of being left behind.

Other symptoms of BPD are: feelings of extreme anger for no reason, a pattern of unstable relationships, disassociation, mood swings, depression, anxiety, impulsive dangerous behavior, feelings of emptiness, distorted and unstable self-image, and self-harm/suicidal ideations.

BPD also affects the way one thinks. They see things only as black or white - there is no gray area. In addition, people with BPD put someone they just met on a pedestal, then immediately drops them if the person says/does something they do not like/approve of. It can be the smallest thing and most times, the person has no idea that they did anything offensive. Having BPD distorts the mind, leaving the person unable to think clearly and logically.

I have burned so many bridges because of my fits of rage, my inability to handle stressful situations, and my attachment issues (fear of abandonment).
I have been in and out of the psychiatric ward at the hospital because of BPD. Every time I am released from the psychiatric ward I am hopeful and optimistic, praying that this will be the last time I will be in the psychiatric ward. Except, I always end up going back. I feel so frustrated because I am taking ten steps backwards from recovery.

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Everyone struggles with something in life. Some struggle for brief periods of time and some struggle every day. I belong to the some who struggle every day. Since I was 5 years old I have constantly struggled with mental illness. I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, ADD, ADHD, PTSD, and attention deficit Disorder. My dad, step mother, and Step Father physically abused me for most of my life because they didn’t understand what I was going through and my Mother was the only person in my life to try to help me through everything I was dealing with. Unfortunately I did not trust anyone around me due to how I was treated at home and because I was constantly bullied at school because I was different. Eventually the abuse I was facing at my step fathers house led to me going into a state of shock and I tried to hurt my mother because I was so out of it and thought she was my step father. I was 15 at this point and was detained. 

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I have been struggling with mental illness from a young age. I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, adhd, ocd, borderline personality disorder, anxiety, psychogenic seizures, and a learning disability. I also am I recovering addict. I would like to spread my story to those in need to show them that the darkness does fade as long as you have the strength to flip the light. The goal is to inspire everyone but if that is not possible I aim to touch at least one person.

I cannot send a message of hope now but I want to in the future. My husband left me with 3 children. Two lost their lives, one to suicide and the other to a drug overdose.  I lost both my parents and best friend during this time. I have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADD, borderline personality disorder…Now, after all the years of hard work and guilt and grieving, I was with a man that mentally, and verbally abused me. Used the guilt I had about my children to say I was a bad Mom and killed them. I, in the middle of one of these arguments  that put blame and shame upon me, actually got up and punched this man in the mouth. He called 911 and I went to jail. I returned to that home, the idiot that I am, and he called 911 again and I never touched him!! I verbally disagreed with him. The police tried to take pics of the supposed victim but like and behold, no Mark is on him.

I lost everything.  My kids. My home. My Dad was a Master Carpenter, cabinet maker. And he made my bed, vanity, mahogany  dining table…all beyond my reach.

It hurts. This man came to me 14 years ago with absolutely  nothing. I fed him. I clothed him. I put a roof over his head. Now I have to live in the street. I would rather die.

Three years ago I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) when I was first stayed in the psych ward at the local hospital. I added that to my list of mental illnesses that my psychiatric had diagnosed me with - severe depression and anxiety, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Aside from me suffering the most with PTSD, I also struggle with BPD. Once I learned of my diagnosis, I researched it as much as I could - I asked mental health professionals about it, Googled it and read just about every article, and bought books about it. I realized I had suffered from BPD since I was in pre-school. The symptoms of BPD fit me perfectly. I had a fear of abandonment, extreme mood swings, self-harm, suicidal behavior, disassociation, random fits of rage, dangerous impulsive behavior, isolation, and a history and pattern of unstable relationships.

My parents have been nothing but understanding, compassionate, and have made a treatment plan for me (just in case I hit rock bottom). They ordered books off of Amazon about how to deal with people with BPD and studied up on it. Prior to my hospitalization in the psych ward, I avoided telling my parents how I was feeling and would cope by self-harm. Now, I talk to them when I am feeling suicidal, worthless, ugly, and like I don’t deserve to be alive. During these times, they stay close to me without suffocating me and patiently listen to me whenever I had something to say.

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I’m the person nobody wants to help. I’m the person who’s problems are too complicated for people to want to deal with and so instead they turn you away. 

My mental illness of depression first showed up when I was 14. Signs of Borderline Personality Disorder were shown a lot earlier than that. Anxiety hit when I was 15. My depression started during the summertime between my freshman and sophomore year of high school. The cops were called to my house because I was suicidal and my parents agreed to get me help. I went once. My sophomore year of high school I started cutting. I started talking to a teacher and the school counselor who got me into counseling. This only helped for a bit until I became suicidal and ended up in the psych ward for the first time. My parents flipped their lid, denying there was anything wrong. I was there a week before being transferred to an adolescent treatment facility where I stayed for two weeks. During this time my parents destroyed the relationship I had with my teacher and school counselor and threatened a law suit. After I got out of that facility, I had a meltdown and was back in four days later for another week. I was discharged and continued outpatient therapy but couldn’t get anywhere because I couldn’t trust anyone. Life went on and I struggled with self harm off an on.

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Hi everyone!

I have lived with mental illness all my life although I wasn’t diagnosed with depression until I was 19.  It wasn’t until 2010 that I was diagnosed with Severe Anxiety Disorder that stemmed from PSTD.  At that time I was also diagnosed with ADHD and Borderline Personality Disorder.  I was hospitalized twice in 2010 and once in 2011.  I was so frightened and felt like I was a “bad person” who couldn’t control her thoughts or actions.  For many years I dealt with emotions that turned to self-hatred and self-harm.  I couldn’t take it anymore.  How I managed to raise two great kids and last 22 years in a marriage is beyond me, but by Gods grace, I did.  One of the most important things that has helped me in the past and continues to help me is a dynamic support team.  I see a therapist twice a month, a psychiatrist as needed for medication control, a mental health staff member from the county and a ARHMS worker that comes into my home weekly that helps me with things that promote mental health.  For many years I dreaded leaving my home as fear of being “found out” by my abusers.  It has only been since this last summer that I have gotten a part time job where I come into contact with the public.  This was a huge step in my healing process, though I have to make a commitment to follow through by going to work when I am scheduled.  Living in darkness and pain is very hard, and when you don’t have support from your family it makes it even more difficult.  So, I surrounded myself with people who accept me where I am at and who help me over the rough patches.  I hope this helps you realize that there is hope out there, though sometimes you have to look for it.

My name is Catrena but I go by Cat or BearCat and I’m 28 years old. I was continuously sexually, physically, and psychologically abused as a child, as well as neglected due to substance abuse in the home.This has left me with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive disorder, and a possible Bipolar diagnosis. Living with many disorders has left me unable to work in a traditional job setting. In fact, my disorders have landed me in the hospital twice this year with suicidal thoughts and manic episodes. I am thriving in my own way, however, having become engaged this year, as well as embarking on a long time goal of becoming a public speaker. I have been through Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, and psychotherapy. Many days are dark and stormy, but with the support of medical professionals as well as my loving fiance, I know I can be a mentally ill and successful person. I have chosen to be on mood stabilizers, but I love hearing ways that people find to thrive while recovering and maintaining mental illnesses. I am always searching for new opportunities to connect and help other individuals who struggle with mental illness find positive ways to cope with their symptoms and live each moment as a gift. I am here to say that while many days can be tough, living with mental illness is not any reason to feel like you cannot be loved and successful in this lifetime.  

I feel for my husband and 9 year old son that they have had to not only deal with me being Bipolar type 1 but for the past 2 years now they have had to deal with me being in a psychosis and very paranoid.  I also have ADHD, PTSD, Paranoid Personality Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder where I do have panic attacks, schizoaffective disorder, kleptomania, OCD, and possibly now split personalities. Ive tried committing suicide when I was young and I always have had thoughts. I have an eating disorder and impulse disorderThere are more but Im trying to not be 302’d.  I was in a car accident because of the illnesses and all the medications my doctor prescribed me and traumas I was dealing with in my environment that led me to get a DUI because of the ADHD med and I got a felony.  I believe the police officer was not trained in mental illness even though he lied on the stand and said he was and he 302’d me for a week. And then put in jail on suicide watch.  I received no help from the community and my illness just kept getting worse and I decided to give up rights to my son until I become more stable.  My husband and I were homeless for about a year and now he lives with my son and his grandma and I live with my stepmom.  We also went thru 2 discrimination cases that went no where because who are people going to believe, a non-profit organization or a mentally ill addict with a criminal background.  Im trying to have faith in my community that things will start getting better for all of us.  My only hope lands on believing that there is a GOD.