On and off since the age of 10, I've been somewhere in the mental healthcare system. That's almost 18 years of treatment (mostly medication) and a whole host of diagnoses: major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and PTSD. Sometimes, it feels as though my life is made up of a series of waves [...]
THE POST I DON'T KNOW HOW TO WRITE There's a subject that's been mulling around in my head for some time now. It's not an easy one to write about by any means. It's a touchy subject, a private subject, and it's important. My marriage. I haven't written it because I never know how to [...]
Growing up in a small town that sits in a small county (7000 souls total…or I assume souls-some of the people are iffy) I kept quiet for a long time about my struggle with depression. I didn’t want to be judged or stigmatized because I have something no one can see. Now, at 37, I [...]
Living with Mental Illness is like Playing Tennis with a Flat Ball By: Theresa Larsen, author of “Cutting the Soul” Imagine going onto a tennis court on a sunny day to play a game of tennis. You grab your racquet, stretch your arms, and pick up a ball. As you throw the ball in the [...]
My dad was slowly changing before my eyes. He turned inward, he became quieter, more detached. he stopped asking me questions and stopped listening when I told him about my day. Instead of playing with me on the weekends he would take naps. He stopped smiling and the light went out of his eyes. I [...]
We all know how people talk when there’s news of a suicide; “He was so successful and funny. He must not have known how many people loved him.” Sometimes you’ll hear the less sympathetic words like “cowardly” or oversimplified sayings like the popular “suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.” Here’s the thing- [...]
My Name is Jasmin Pierre. I am from New Orleans, Louisiana and I am 26 years old. When my parents divorced, I was five. I was raised in Louisville, Kentucky for 12 years by my mother. It wasn't until about the age of 17 I started feeling different. Some days I just didn't feel like myself [...]
The minute she was born I knew she was special. She had a full shock of dark hair and a wise air about her as if she'd done this many times before. I instantly fell in love with her. I wanted her so badly that I stopped the anti-depressants I was on after the birth [...]
It all started in elementary school. I was bullied right from the start. Halfway through 4th grade I switched schools, and things got a little better. I now know why things were better – it’s because I was the new kid. Everyone wants to be friends with the new kid. 5th grade all that stopped. [...]
SMILE “Why don’t you smile more?” I have heard this comment more times than I care to remember. It seems like an easy thing to do, right? Two corners of your lips up, a couple of teeth showing and …. It’s a constant in my life – both the “Would you please smile?” and the [...]
