http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm This is the Real Lives Blog from Mental Health America en-us Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:55:11 -0500 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:18:00 -0500 BlogCFC http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss webmaster@mentalhealthameica.net webmaster@mentalhealthameica.net webmaster@mentalhealthameica.net http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm no http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/24/Dont-do-it-alone--use-the-resources-you-have-around-you by Stephanie in Maine I suffer from a variety of things. The first is being brought up in a household totally unaware of 'Mental Illness' and being 'disciplined' as my father was disciplined. My grandmother on my dad's side was the first person I believed to have a problem. My father has always had a very 'hard' way of living and was always the very first to tell us, 'stop crying' if we were being punished. [More] Abuse PTSD Depression Hospitalization Family History Post partum depression Suicidal Ideation Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:18:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/24/Dont-do-it-alone--use-the-resources-you-have-around-you http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/24/Mothers-struggle-with-schizophrenia-weighs-heavily-on-daughter by Neecee in Alabama My mother was a very attractive woman at one time-- she almost resembled a model. Something was wrong with her thinking; it drove her and whoever came in contact with her away. I can remember when I was eleven years old and my mother accused me of going with her boyfriend and calling me names. When I was thirteen, my mother would tell us lies all the time. She would make up these bizarre stories about these children to keep us in line. It took me years to shake the majority of this thinking. [More] Abuse Trauma Anxiety Family History Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:03:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/24/Mothers-struggle-with-schizophrenia-weighs-heavily-on-daughter http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/24/Overcoming-depression-and-accepting-things-one-can-not-change by Karen in Wisconsin I am 30 years old, married, with one son. We are a happy family, but I still struggle from time to time with mental illness. It's something that runs in my family - my grandmother was one of the most severe cases, and had multiple suicide attempts; my grandfather committed suicide when he was 82. [More] PTSD Depression Hospitalization Recovery Family History Eating Disorder Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:20:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/24/Overcoming-depression-and-accepting-things-one-can-not-change http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/Never-give-up-on-yourself-or-a-loved-one-with-a-mental-illness by Gail in Florida Thinking in retrospect, I can recall being a shy, nervous little girl. At an early age, I began pulling my own eyelashes out to relieve the pain. Shortly after my 13th birthday, my father took his own life. I was told to "pull myself up by my bootstraps" and to get over it. I received absolutely NO counseling or help. We were poor and in debt. I don't blame my mother. She was suffering in her own hell from his action. The rest of my teenage years were spent running wild. I would drink, smoke cigarettes, and party. I think it was a way to ease the heartache. Even my own grandmother asked me, "What can I do to make you happy? Nothing makes you happy anymore." I suppose she saw what I couldn't. [More] Recovery Social Anxiety Panic Disorder Depression Anxiety Family History Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:01:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/Never-give-up-on-yourself-or-a-loved-one-with-a-mental-illness http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/Support-needed--do-not-want-to-feel-vulnerable-and-helpless-anymore by Kimberly in Florida I was 8 years old when I had my first panic attack. I was so scared and thought that I was going to die. My mom reassured me that everyone had them. None of my friends were having panic attics nor were they being mentally and physically abused by their dads. As I got older, I became more overwhelmed. I think the only reason I kept it together was because I was so afraid of my dad. [More] Abuse ADHD PTSD Depression Panic Disorder Uninsured Family History Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:32:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/Support-needed--do-not-want-to-feel-vulnerable-and-helpless-anymore http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/An-Army-of-One by Ken in Ohio I was first diagnosed with depression in my early 30's, although I suspect it has been bubbling just below the surface of my life since day one. To say it has had a negative effect on my life is a gross understatement. My father was an alcoholic who killed himself when I was just three years old. My mother died of lung cancer when I was thirteen. My inability to think clearly or rationally on any given day has caused me to simply walk away from a number of jobs as well as relationships with those around me. A mix of financial problems and an unexplained fear of the world in general most often keep me from going out and engaging in new relationships. Right now I am an army of one and I am losing the war. I feel like there is nowhere to turn. [More] Depression Family History Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:25:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/An-Army-of-One http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/I-am-a-beautiful-talented-successful-woman-and-I-needed-help by Morgan in Illinois As far back as I can remember, mental illness has affected my life. My diagnosis, like many, is one of many disorders. I can remember the fights my parents had because my father, who suffered from bi-polar disorder, refused to seek help but self-medicated with drugs, alcohol, and countless women. My mother overcompensated by keeping an immaculate home and starving herself to meet the unattainable expectations of my father...always with a smile on her face. Even at 4-years old, I felt like there was something I should be doing differently, that it was my job to fix everything, and mostly, that it was all my fault in the first place. [More] Recovery Depression Hospitalization Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Family History Eating Disorder Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:01:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/I-am-a-beautiful-talented-successful-woman-and-I-needed-help http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/1/10/Its-a-battle-we-have-to-fight-EVERDAY by Jamie in Tennessee I'm not sure when it all started, but I think I've always dealt with depression. I just didn't always understand it. The first memory I have of it was when I was six and my grandfather died. I remember trying to hide my feelings because I thought I felt different than everyone else. I wouldn't even cry. Everyone thought I was too young for it to bother me, so I didn't let them know it did. I was always socially withdrawn because we moved around a lot, so I didn't have any friends except my sisters and brother. When I was seven, my oldest sister (who is 10 years older than me) started to molest me. [More] Hospitalization Substance Abuse Anxiety Family History Uninsured Abuse Alcoholism Depression Self-Injury Unemployment Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:08:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/1/10/Its-a-battle-we-have-to-fight-EVERDAY http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/1/10/If-something-is-weighing-you-down-build-a-bridge-to-help-you-get-over-it by Rayelle in Minnesota My mental illness has affected my life since I was around five years old. I grew up in a very violent and abusive home in Minnesota, as have a lot of my mentally ill friends. I have five siblings who grew up there with me and we all suffered the wrath of alcoholic parents who used us as punching bags. I was beaten regularly and even have memories of a sibling that was murdered in our kitchen, but no one ever talks about it or acknowledges it even happened. That caused a lot of anger and rage towards most of my direct family members, and I have cut most of them completely out of my life. That, I believe, was the healthiest thing I have ever done. [More] Anxiety Depression Eating Disorder ADHD Abuse Bipolar Disorder Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Panic Disorder Seasonal Affective Disorder Family History Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:03:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/1/10/If-something-is-weighing-you-down-build-a-bridge-to-help-you-get-over-it http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/1/9/Changes-made-in-life-for-sons-sake by Kathleen in Florida I was molested sexually by my father, who murdered my mother when I was four and my brother was five. Yes, we witnessed it, but I just remembered all the details in the past two years. The molestation continued all my life. I was forced to choose between my father or a physically abusive boy friend at the age of 13. [More] Abuse PTSD Depression Family History Fri, 09 Jan 2009 23:53:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/1/9/Changes-made-in-life-for-sons-sake http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2008/12/15/Prayers-and-keep-a-mothers-hope-strong 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. [More] Hospitalization Divorce ADHD Abuse Bipolar Disorder PTSD Schizophrenia Family History Suicidal Ideation Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:30:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2008/12/15/Prayers-and-keep-a-mothers-hope-strong http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2008/12/15/Sharing-my-knowledge-helps-reap-emotional-mental-and-physical-strength-and-lightens-load 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? [More] ADHD Social Anxiety Hospitalization Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Family History Anxiety Bipolar Disorder Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:24:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2008/12/15/Sharing-my-knowledge-helps-reap-emotional-mental-and-physical-strength-and-lightens-load http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2008/12/9/Good-health-insurance-is-key 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. [More] Recovery Depression Self-Injury Uninsured Family History Suicidal Ideation Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:18:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2008/12/9/Good-health-insurance-is-key http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2008/12/9/Mental-illness-is-that-its-real-its-not-a-cop-out by Lea in Arkansas I was the next to the youngest out of five kids. I did graduate from school, but I struggled. I really didn't have time to make friends in school because I tried so hard just to pass. When school was out, I went home and slept! [More] ADHD Depression Anxiety Family History Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:45:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2008/12/9/Mental-illness-is-that-its-real-its-not-a-cop-out http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2008/12/9/Long-road-leads-to-balance-and-unconditional-selflove 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. [More] Hospitalization Anxiety Divorce Recovery Social Anxiety Bipolar Disorder PTSD Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Panic Disorder Family History Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:37:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2008/12/9/Long-road-leads-to-balance-and-unconditional-selflove