Looking back on my life, I can see bipolar disorder woven through every piece of it. Though I was diagnosed at the age of 26, I now see that my disorder first manifested as debilitating anxiety in elementary school. Followed by what I believe to be bipolar mixed states and depression in middle school. Before [...]
I knew something was wrong, even as I sat there shaking from the rage. This wasn't normal. I hadn't been this angry for awhile, not enough to shake and be numb and feel like I'm about to explode. My bipolar disorder was rearing its ugly head again. The slightest things set me off. More often [...]
Anxiety is an asshole... -Thoughts come to you at breakneck speed--the good and the bad. -You cannot sit still--even for what used to be your favorite activity. -Something bad is about to happen--you just don’t know what or when. -You’re exhausted but you cannot sleep--when you finally close your eyes, your dreams are laced with [...]
Support System I struggled from the time I was fourteen to the time I was twenty-two, with something I could not name. Doctors called it a lot of things from depression to allergies, and none of the diagnoses were correct. I felt that I was fighting an invisible demon, who refused to let me go. [...]
So, I was given the suggestion to write for Stigma Fighters from a contributor – who happens to be one of my closest friends. I have bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety and I happen to hallucinate because of an accident. I am medicated, but sometimes the meds do not work. My coping mechanisms, one of which [...]
I'll be honest about it: This is the most difficult thing I've ever had to write. Not because I'm afraid of what others will think of me or my illness, but rather what I think about it. But each time, I've had an episode of depression or mania, I refused to give in. One thing [...]
I'm part of the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. By 2050, Latinos will account for 25% of the U.S. population. These rising numbers keep most politicians scratching their heads on how to handle immigration issues wishing there was an easy way out for them of course. In my opinion, they only help [...]
This isn't the story I want to tell, this isn't the story I want to be living. Write about my life they say. Like it's easy to rip open the doors of my mind and explain to every person who will read this how fucking hard it is to wake up. My very good friend [...]
If living with a misdiagnosed mental illness for seven years and running through the gauntlet of prescription medications to treat anxiety and depression isn’t enough, having an arrest serve as the catalyst that ultimately leads someone to a correct diagnosis and corresponding effective treatment program has been surreal to say the least. Add the words [...]
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A teacher, a doctor, a lawyer? Did it change as you got older? Once I thought I wanted to be a social worker because I thought that was the best way to help people, but I would become so emotional [...]
