by Angela in Alaska
My depression started while I was young. I was a child born from an alcoholic, so I had missing endorphins (I found this out after doing research on depression. When I was 13 years old, I was medicated for severe depression after my father, who had abandoned my family when I was four, died.
by Jenn in Pennsylvania
I was voted the funniest girl out of my graduating class in 2006, but what my class did not know, what no one knew, was that I was not okay. Throughout my life I continuously put on a mask of indifference; I never felt anything and I never would think about who I was or who I was becoming. Instead of understanding such essentials, I made jokes and pointed fun at those who did. I laughed on the outside about people who had drive or who had a purpose. I just wanted to party and forget about life.
by Annaco in Colorado
My obsessive compulsive disorder started at age 11. I became school phobic. I would come home from school and lie in bed so my mind would not keep going over and over things. Then, going to bed wouldn't take the obsessions away, and I was into obsessions and rituals. I then started experiencing depression. I never laughed. I was always scared. At 19, I couldn't drive because I would think, "What if I drove off of the highway?"
by Bob in California
I started dealing with mental illness as a child. Now I know that my mom was diagnosed with manic depression in the early 1970s. My brother and I became a release for her maniacal rages. Beatings, screaming, hunger, and neglect are the best way to describe my childhood.
by Nancy in California
I feel it is important to tell my story as it will have more of an impact on people at this time in my life. I became the First Lady of Long Beach last July 18th, 2006. This is the first time I have referred to myself as such, hoping that it may make a positive difference for others who suffer with a mental illness.
by Joan in New York
I was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 49. What triggered my diagnosis was a colleague's suicide. My mother had a mental illness and was suicidal, but I had never disclosed her illness to anyone except my closest friends.
by Anna Marie in Ohio
At the age of 76, I now look back at an eventful, though too often painful, life. I can only speculate about the role of mental illness (bipolar disorder) on those challenging years. What degree of the decisions, turbulence or even the successes can be attributed to my mental illness?
by Anthony in Texas
I have had a hard time getting treatment for my mental illness. I found out the hard way that the only way I was able to get treatment in the rural town I live in was to lie about how I felt and what I was thinking. The person I spoke to at my local mental health center didn't know what to do for me so she ran to a judge and had me committed.
by Shannon in Maryland
I was always a melancholy child, but my senior year in high school caught me up in a whirlwind of anxiety and despair. This subsided into a psychotic depression leaving me totally unable to function and convinced that I should kill myself for the good of my family. After being hospitalized and starting on antidepressant and antipsychotic medications, I recovered and graduated from high school the following year with high honors.
by Terri in New Jersey
I've been affected with mental illness since the age of 12 when my brother died. I began having difficulty in school and at home. My friends started calling my mother and telling her that I was acting strange in school and when I spent time with them socially. At home, no one noticed anything different, but that's when I started having problems. In school, I started falling behind in my class work and began failing most of my classes. That's when my family starting seeing a difference in me.
