I don’t have a good track record for handling Hard Things well. When I was younger, scribbling angry rants in my journal was sufficient enough to handle stress. As I got older, my tendency was to escape rather than confront. Predictably, the older I got, the more serious life became, making it that much harder [...]
OCD By James Gummer Many people think that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is just that hand-washing thing, or a need to tidy up your bedroom. It can be. But most of the time, it's so much more. OCD is a tricky bastard. It's having a meltdown in front of my girlfriend who I haven't seen for [...]
I hope that by sharing my story of mental illness I can raise awareness and encourage others to share their stories. I have post traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and mild social anxiety. I have always suffered from social anxiety. As a young child my social anxiety was so bad that I was afraid to ask [...]
There are some things we just have to experience to understand. I couldn’t stand listening to them whine. My classmates, my co-workers, my friends and my family coming to me and sucking my positive energy dry. Those with so called “depression” were always so negative and I didn’t understand. I didn’t understand. I am ashamed [...]
Hi! My name is Rich and I live a happy life. I live with schizophrenia and depression daily, but enjoy my life to the fullest extent I can. It's been a long road to get to this point, but I'd like to share my journey with you. Back in 2001, I was working in a [...]
I follow Stigma Fighters and admire the courage of those who have "come out" before me and shared their stories. This is the first time I've gone public with this and in all honesty I am feeling levels of increased anxiety and vulnerability with literally every letter I type. A firm believer in the idea [...]
I didn't want to have something "wrong" with me. Certainly not a mental disorder. March 1984, The night I opened the doors into a big hotel lounge in Dallas, filled with friends, mostly strangers. All just having a good time. My heart started racing. My hands were sweaty. The walls of the room seemed to [...]
I was at work when I found out Jason had died. Everything else in the world went blurry. Jason is dead. Shit. I looked around my little window-less office, “I think I think I have to go home now.” Fuzzy thoughts wondered if I needed special permission to go home early from work. He wasn’t [...]
I don’t really remember a time when I wasn’t experiencing some type of turmoil in my life, however small. I grew up with 4 older brothers and an older sister. They all took their fair share of recreational drugs or drank alcohol. They caused my parents many sleepless nights. Unfortunately, at an early age I [...]
I am a Survivor of Suicide By Kurt Cunningham I tried to end my life one night after having a wonderful fun-filled evening with friends. It was in November 2012 — I had a plan in place for months. Not one person had any idea what I was planning to do. After a series of [...]