http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm This is the Real Lives Blog from Mental Health America en-us Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:54:31 -0500 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:46:00 -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/A-thinker-philosopher-and-reader by Elvia in Texas In 1996, at the age of 22, I was hospitalized for the first time after severe sleep deprivation during my senior year in college. I was diagnosed bipolar but it was unclear whether that was accurate and if so, what did that mean for me in my life. [More] Recovery Hospitalization Bipolar Disorder Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:46:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/9/4/A-thinker-philosopher-and-reader http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/9/4/Recovery-brings-confidence-joy-and-peace by Cheryl in Virginia As a Child, I was sexually abused and had an alcoholic parent. I was an anxious child and as I grew up I had many depressed and manic episodes throughout my life. [More] Abuse Recovery Hospitalization Bipolar Disorder Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:39:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/9/4/Recovery-brings-confidence-joy-and-peace http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/24/Learning-how-to-face-her-eating-disorder-wiht-courage by Lauren in Colorado July 7, 2007 was the best and the worst day of my entire life. After spending a week and a half in a medically-induced coma, I awoke to learn that I had walked away from everything and everyone I had ever loved or cared for. With absolutely no memory of the nearly fatal suicide attempt that took me through complete kidney and liver failure, I came to learn that the lies of my eating disorder had convinced me I was not worth the air I needed to breathe. [More] Recovery Hospitalization Eating Disorder Suicidal Ideation Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:31:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/24/Learning-how-to-face-her-eating-disorder-wiht-courage http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/24/A-second-chance by April in Georgia My Bipolar disorder has been the dictator and ruler of my entire life up until about three years ago. As a child, it destroyed my self-esteem, isolated me, confused me and eventually, consumed me. As a teenager, the black cloud seemed to get thicker; however, the common misconception was she's a teenager. [More] Recovery Hospitalization Divorce Bipolar Disorder Substance Abuse Suicidal Ideation Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:36:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/24/A-second-chance 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/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/Understanding-trial--error-and-what-it-means-not-just-to-exist-but-to-be-alive by Cynthia in Michigan I was 48 years old and in the Autumn of my life. No longer flying below the radar, I was struck as if by lightening. For many years our father told us we were Greek's with a type A disposition and it was easy to believe by our energy and enthusiasm. Unfortunately, we were hypersensitive and were agitated easily. Gatherings were often noisy but they were stormy too. My depression began about the time my father became ill. I had no knowledge of the darkness that was about to engulf me. [More] Recovery Bipolar Disorder Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:08:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/Understanding-trial--error-and-what-it-means-not-just-to-exist-but-to-be-alive 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/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 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/A-bereaved-parent-learns-to-cope-and-reaches-out-to-others-who-have-lost-a-child by Charlotte in Kentucky Even though I had only a high school education, I was very fortunate to find a career that I loved. I got a divorce when my son was six-months-old and for 20 years held down two jobs simultaneously as a court reporter and legal assistant. I also did some fashion modeling and TV commercials. [More] PTSD Depression Recovery Suicidal Ideation Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:14:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/A-bereaved-parent-learns-to-cope-and-reaches-out-to-others-who-have-lost-a-child 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/2009/4/10/When-someone-talks-they-are-giving-a-window-to-their-heart-and-their-mind by Karen in Missouri This month marks the one year anniversary of my nervous breakdown. While the journey is certainly not over, I thought this would be a good time to send a message about it. There are several reasons for the message - one is to make one more attempt to convince the jerks that don't believe in mental diseases that IT IS REAL. Another is for awareness. Perhaps I will find the words to describe things that other sufferers like me have been trying to find all along. Perhaps, even if just for a moment, I will help someone else feel like they are not alone. At any rate, a year ago at this time I had hit rock bottom. [More] Recovery Social Anxiety Post partum depression Panic Disorder Depression Anxiety Suicidal Ideation Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:48:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/4/10/When-someone-talks-they-are-giving-a-window-to-their-heart-and-their-mind http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/1/10/God-spared-my-life-for-a-reason by Renee in Pennsylvania My search for the meaning of life began at the age of 14 when drugs and alcohol became a way of life for me to cope with the years of abuse and the nightmarish memories of my past. I became a high school drop-out and ran away from home, looking for love in all the wrong places. I had been consumed body, soul and spirit by overexposure to alcohol, drugs and sexual abuse by the time I was 17. [More] Hospitalization Substance Abuse Recovery Uninsured Depression Alcoholism Bipolar Disorder Self-Injury Homeless Unemployment Suicidal Ideation Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:17:00 -0500 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/1/10/God-spared-my-life-for-a-reason