http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm This is the Real Lives Blog from Mental Health America en-us Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:54:16 -0500 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:54:00 -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/2009/9/4/Learning-to-trust-others-and-forgive-himself by Forgotten Dad in Washington First and foremost, I am a survivor. How has this disease affected my life? I have had difficult times with relationships. I keep everyone at a distance. Even those who I know I can trust. Trust is a big issue. I can count the number of people I trust on one hand. And even with those people there are doubts of trust. [More] Self-Injury Depression Hospitalization Anxiety Suicidal Ideation Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:54:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/9/4/Learning-to-trust-others-and-forgive-himself http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/9/4/A-Coastal-Journey-to-Awareness by Larry in Pennsylvania I would like to share with you my experience with the mental health system. Years ago, when I graduated from college I went back to New York to live with my parents. I was confused and did not what to do with myself. I was getting into trouble, doing drugs, etc. My parents sent me to psychiatrist who diagnosed me as mentally ill. The shrink then referred me to a neurologist for tests. The neurologist examined me in Columbia/Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan for several days. I was given a CAT scan, heart exam, eye tests and a whole gamut of exams. [More] Social Anxiety Depression Anxiety Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:48:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/9/4/A-Coastal-Journey-to-Awareness http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/9/4/A-father-struggles-with-hard-times-and-unemployment by Tony in California My name is Anthony, and I was injured while serving in the Gulf of Oman. I served with VFA-97, on board the USS Kitty Hawk CV-63. The reason for this message is very complex, but I will try to summarize. You see, I was discharged from the Navy back in 1995 with a very small severance pay of $5000. Before deployment I met a young lady close to my base. We fell madly in love and couldn't get enough of each other. That was back in 1993. We got married and started our family. [More] Hospitalization Substance Abuse Uninsured Depression PTSD Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Panic Disorder Unemployment Suicidal Ideation Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:29:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/9/4/A-father-struggles-with-hard-times-and-unemployment http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/24/Take-your-mental-health-as-serious-as-your-physical-health by Yolanda in South Carolina "Mental illness" is not a welcoming word, and I never labeled myself as mentally ill. However, a lot of what I was dealing with did, in fact, affect my professional life, spiritual-self, and my relationship with my spouse. My schoolwork on the PhD level actually provided an open door for me to research, and get the therapy, counseling, EMDR therapy, and support group counseling services I needed. [More] Abuse Social Anxiety Depression Anxiety Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:27:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/24/Take-your-mental-health-as-serious-as-your-physical-health 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/Design-ur-Life-Makeovers by Life Ministries in Wisconsin My whole life I have been on some sort of medication. At the age of 14, I was told I was a manic depressive. The medicine my parents and doctor put me on turned my life upside down. I started drinking, having sex and then running away. I was 13 and just moved from Great Lakes, Il to Camp Lejeune, NC. My dad was in the Navy. [More] Alcoholism Depression Anxiety Bipolar Disorder Substance Abuse Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:59:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/24/Design-ur-Life-Makeovers 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/2009/4/24/A-Battle-of-Courage-and-Custody by Jeree in Texas I suffer from depression and have most of my life. I have been on and off of anti-depressants since I was 19. [More] Depression Anxiety Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:16:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/24/A-Battle-of-Courage-and-Custody http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/A-fight-using-resourcefulness-and-determination by Angela in North Carolina My strength is derived from my passion for advocating for those who suffer from mental illness as I have shared their pain. I am a highly-motivated individual who chooses to use my own mental illnesses as an asset rather than a liability. [More] Recovery Depression Borderline Personality Disorder Anxiety Seasonal Affective Disorder Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:33:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/A-fight-using-resourcefulness-and-determination http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/Recovery-is-a-life-long-process by Andrew in Michigan I have been affected by mental illness as far back as I can remember. As a child I was so anxious about starting kindergarten, I stayed in pre-school one more year before I started real school. For the rest of my time in school I remember feeling more anxious about new things and situations than my friends, and every so often I'd get depressed and not want to interact with others. [More] Recovery Depression Panic Disorder Anxiety Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:24:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/Recovery-is-a-life-long-process http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/With-therapy-I-have-learned-to-cope-better by Cathrine in Michigan My name is Cathrine. My birth was traumatic and a root cause of my mental and physical conditions. I suffer from BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder), Depression, ADD, Anxiety and panic disorders. Some of my mental problems I have suffered from all my life and some have gotten worse and developed due to my hypothyroidism and my environment. [More] Depression Hospitalization Unemployment Uninsured Borderline Personality Disorder ADHD Anxiety Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:18:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/With-therapy-I-have-learned-to-cope-better 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/Recovery-Is-Possible by Serena in Pennsylvania I was 14. My home life was privileged but chaotic and negative. After a sexual assault I could tell no one about, I suffered over a year of severe depression. After I began to appear functional, I still struggled against the anxiety and depression. [More] Abuse Depression Trauma Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:56:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/Recovery-Is-Possible http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/Know-that-there-is-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel by Jeanne in North Carolina I lived, or should I say, existed with depression (dysthymia) for over 30 years. I know that my depression started as a child, though no one ever considered this possible back then. We moved a lot when I was a child, so starting new schools didn't help. My mother was very angry back then and often took it out on me. This, plus no friends led to a lonely childhood. [More] Abuse PTSD Depression Trauma Recovery Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:50:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/Know-that-there-is-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/Writing--the-best-therapy-and-its-free by Deborah in California From childhood, I vividly remember sitting on top of my shoes inside of the closet, as I hid away and cried. I would cry for hours, if no one caught me and yelled at me to stop. Sadness was my existence; I did not have the words to articulate my experience. Almost every day, I went through an inexplicable pain; not only did I suffer with depression, but also I was being sexually abused, and I did not have the words to voice my experience. Living in a small, rural town during the 70's meant that family secrets prevailed. A book about molestation did not exist in the town library. [More] Hospitalization Trauma Borderline Personality Disorder Recovery Abuse PTSD Self-Injury Depression Anxiety Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:45:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/Writing--the-best-therapy-and-its-free