by Patrick in Oregon
My mental illness has probably affected me most or all of my life. I was a loner. My siblings both younger and older (yes I'm the middle child) were so much more advanced than I was that I was labeled to be slightly retarded. I didn't understand or much less care about anything or try to do anything because I would never follow through. That's what I was told.
by Sonya in Texas
As an adult, I know now what was wrong with me as a teenager, which is wonderful in a way because I thought I was loosing my mind. Was I a weirdo and no one else was like me in the world? No, I found out that I have severe panic and anxiety attacks, along with depression.
by Skittlz in Maryland
I was 16 years old was when my depression really started to kick in. My grandfather had passed away four days after Christmas in 2004, and it really hit me hard. I locked myself in my room and did not want to come out. I was terrified that all of my friends in school were after me because it seemed like they just did nothing but talk about me behind my back. Two weeks after my grandfather's death, I slit my wrists trying to kill myself. I didn't tell anybody because I figured everyone would be happier without me being around. I tried slitting my throat so I would die faster, I tried popping a whole bunch of pills to die faster, but nothing seemed to work.
by Kerri in Wisconsin
I was emotionally, physically and sexually abused by my ex-husband, who I had two children by. The abuse dragged on for seven years, ending in 1995 when he was finally charged with sexual assault, false imprisonment, domestic violence, and battery. I've been struggling with PTSD. I have a low self-esteem, bipolar and depression.
by Andrew in Pennsylvania
I have been labeled as manic-depressive, or bipolar, for the last 25 years. I have been through buzzing highs and crushing lows too numerous to count. I have been hospitalized too many times to remember, all across the country. This is my story.
by Tamoa in Virgnia
I am just turning 35 years old and have lived with mental illness all my life. I remember asking my mother when I was little, "was I retarded like my uncle'" who is now 60 and has the mentality of a ten-year-old. I was crying all the time and could not sleep at night because I was afraid of things coming out from the bed or closets that I was actually seeing. My parents didn't think anything of it at the time. As I got older it became progressively worse.
by Yolanda in Florida
At the age of 21, my doctor delivered devastating news and diagnosed me as suffering from bi-polar disorder. In my early teens, I experienced episodes of pure misery, which could quickly turn into extreme jubilation. In those early years though, I only understood the depression side of the disorder. After all, how could extreme exuberance be connected with an illness?
by Joshua in Arkansas
Yesterday I was discharged from a health care center, where 4 ½ days earlier I was voluntarily admitted because of an emotional and overall mental break down – one of many I have experienced over the course of the past year. My discharge diagnosis was bipolar, manic depressive, attention deficit disordered and bulimia. I continue to battle these things everyday of my life.
by Linda in Pennsylvania
Due to my mental disorders (plural) I've been unemployed since 2001, except for a brief period last year when I attempted but was unable to work full-time. Right now I'm looking for volunteer work so that I can build up my stamina for working so that eventually I will be employable again.
by Bi-polar Momma in Kentucky
First of all, I have struggled with more than one mental illness. I am Bipolar 1, I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Substance Abuse, Post-Partum Depression, and Self Injury. I have been hospitalized recently for all of these things. I was diagnosed a few years ago for most of those mental illnesses and haven't been medicated up until now.
