Hello again, This is a companion to a piece that I penned on October 27, 2016. I would like to thank The Mighty for publishing my original post. The editors give a much-needed voice to the voiceless. The publishers at The Mighty have given a lost soul like myself a forum to tell my own [...]
Safety from Stigma Learning how recovery, addiction, and mental illness are so intertwined has been eye-opening in my three years of sobriety. Being able to see how my depression opened the door to the depths of addiction in my life now makes perfect sense. The stigma that comes with both addiction and mental illness is [...]
Me Vs. My Eating Disorder: How I realized that I was sick and learned to differentiate myself from my sickness By Sparklle Rainne My eating disorder began when I was only eight years old. It began with bulimia, but my diagnosis has changed multiple times throughout my life - I've been diagnosed with bulimia, anorexia, [...]
Well, it’s back; the dreaded beast known as mania. I’m in the midst of a relapse and I’m so upset about it. I know exactly how it happened this time. I got sick with the flu and bronchitis about a week and a half ago. And because I was so overextended work-wise, my body took [...]
Living with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Every October since as long as I can remember I have been sad, angry, confused, upset, and illogical. What about October made me upset? Was October just a weird month thanks to Halloween? Many people have feelings of depression, mood swings, and less energy during fall and winter. Some [...]
I can recall the very moment everything changed. I remember it clearly as if a wire in my brain became unplugged. I was at a friend’s house and I sat down on the edge of the fireplace to settle in for another movie. Except this time was different. Though my body physically stopped moving when [...]
I remember driving over the Gold Star bridge as a child (the summer before the fifth grade), on the way to an art fair with my mom, and seeing him. He appeared to be standing on the opposite side of the fence of the bridge, and if I remember correctly he was wearing shorts. My [...]
I was lucky enough to grow up in a household with two loving parents who did their best to ensure my sisters and I had everything we needed. We had opportunities that many kids didn’t, and we always knew love and safety. Our home was not a broken one, and I never–not in a million [...]
Mental illness has always been familiar to me. My mom has lived with depression and anxiety for the majority of her life. There were days she wouldn’t get out of bed, but would remain curled up with her tattered red robe, with a pillow over her head. My sister and I learned to play quietly [...]
Cicadas and Honeybees They’re buzzing again. The hum is warm like thick ribbons of honey unfurling to the bottom of my tea cup. As they flutter their wings faster, swarming around in my head I begin to feel their vibration throughout my entire body. My bones quiver under their drone. My toes prickle as if [...]
