by Mary Theresa in Pennsylvania
For much of my life I did not realize I had worth as a person. It prevented me from using and improving my talents. I was always living in fear even in the most common situations. In my relationships, I was undemanding. I felt I didn't have any rights. I did not know I had the right to have wants. I did not have the ability to resolve any differences or conflict. Instead, I would be resentful and not recognize that I was pushing down anger.
by Kathy in North Carolina
Several years ago, I experienced chronic depression in which I could no longer function at work and at home. The painful symptoms of depression were so extreme that I tried to take my own life. Months before this happened, I sought out professional help, but without insurance I ended up in a mental health system being treated with no understanding and no empathy from the counselor who assisted me. I walked out of the counselor's office even more depressed.
by Shannon in New York
I have been struggling with mental illness since I was a child. At the age of seven, my mother and father separated. I started pulling chunks of hair out of my head. I would wake up with a pillow filled with hair or the way I saw it, shame. Shame has been my biggest M/O for relapse or suicidal thoughts.
My mother and father took me to a dermatologist where they diagnosed me with alopecia arietta. I lied and said the hair fell out. I held on to that secret until years later.
by Elizabeth in Florida
My mental illness has affected me in so many ways. My relationship is what is hurting the most. I have a fiancé and two kids - a 2 two-year old and an infant of 4 months. I love my fiancé so much, but I'm afraid that if I don't do something about this that he will give up on me and leave.
by Melody in Illinois
My journey with mental illness was a result of severe stress related to work. I dealt with severe depression, including isolation, crying, self-mutilation, hyper-insomnia and much more. For the first six months of my illness, I was in and out of the hospital over 20 times. I have attempted suicide numerous times, but failed. I had been on every medication prescribed for bipolar disorder.
by Ellen in Massachusetts
My story is a story of others holding hope for me for a very long time until I could find hope for myself and find the meaning of hope. Basically, my story started the day I was conceived, but it came to fruition in 1981. I graduated from high school in 1981 and to a lot of people's surprise I applied for college. To my surprise, I received a scholarship from my school's booster club and off to college I went.
by Julie in Iowa
I believe there is a serious problem with the Social Security program. I am a 36-year-old single mother, and I began Social Security benefits at the age of 20 due to a rapid decline in my mental health. I have multiple mental health diagnoses and have had many hospitalizations in the subsequent years.
by Lisa in North Carolina
I remember very well the reason I started falling apart. I was in nursing school, working two part-time jobs, and my mother was very sick. Within a matter of 24 hours, I lost my mom, and I got kicked out of nursing school because of low grades. After these losses, I became very depressed, suicidal, and homicidal.
