In the spring of 2015, after a stay in a psychiatric ward, I was diagnosed with a psychotic disorder. For a long time, I struggled to accept my illness. I was ashamed of it. The very idea of talking about it to anyone was embarrassing to me as if having a mental illness made me [...]
*trigger warning - self-harm* When I first became mentally unwell, I never thought I'd be here now, sharing my story—a survivor of my own minds torment. I was 16 when I was first diagnosed with clinical depression. I was in such a dark place, scared of the thoughts in my head, scared of what people [...]
Oops, I Left My Anxiety At Home When you have had anxiety for as long as I have, it kind of becomes a part of your identity. Life without it feels great but strange and unfamiliar at the same time. My most recent episode of crippling anxiety resulted in being prescribed a ~very~ effective medication. [...]
*content warning - suicidal ideation* It was November and traffic was awful. A downpour had turned the freeway into one long hydroplane. Even if I hadn’t been sobbing, visibility was almost nil. My two children were strapped in their car seats behind me. Both were screaming, the three-year-old punctuating every shriek with a kick to [...]
I’ve read that 70-90% of people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia are totally unemployed or completely disabled. I received this diagnosis when I was 20. And today I decided to shut down the home based business I have been running for the last 10 months, mostly because of the toll it was taking on my [...]
I would like to invite you to take part in a special 5-week series to raise awareness about mental illness.
What do you do to honor the day you woke up from dying? Four years ago, on a Monday morning, instead of going to work, I went to sleep. I went to sleep for 4 days. I do not remember a light at the end of the tunnel. I do not remember hearing voices coming [...]
What do you do when little carries a weight of importance? I have spent my forty-four years swinging between depression and mania, being gnawed upon by anxiety, and little clue what these things are. I have been focused on my mental health for the last decade, but it was only five years ago when I [...]
There were three major things that happened that affected me in negative ways in my childhood. I was diagnosed with Executive Dysfunction Disorder. What that means is that I have a hard time doing many tasks others find easy. A family member had severe anger issues that came out in horrible ways. My mom had [...]
Alexithymia in 2020 America We bring in each item: one at a time wipe it down with a Clorox wipe Shadows crossing the threshold My throat tightens My stomach turns My face remains the same Northern winters subside early Plans to landscape the yard Keep Busy Find joy in connecting with the earth My enthusiasm [...]
