When you attempt to play chess with your own brain, you will without a doubt lose. I have been battling with mental illness most of my life. It is a tiring and arduous task. A task, up until this past year, I had managed to some degree. However, I made the mistake of getting cocky. [...]
I Am a We, and We Are Stronger Together There is strength in numbers. Two heads are better than one. It takes a village to raise a child. United we stand, divided we fall. We are stronger together. There are many popular phrases that talk about the power of teamwork, the advantages that can come [...]
I have been going to therapy for five years but, if someone would have asked me about it, I would probably have lied, or changed the subject. I guess that’s starting to change; right here, right now. I was a twenty-year-old college student when I first experienced my first panic attack. I was on campus [...]
On Mental Health Psychologists Psychiatrists Medical P.H.D. Doctors Even non-medical, non-Psychology, or non-Psychiatritry degrees Certain family members and their friends Certain so-called friends Certain neighbors Haters Enemies and everyone else in between all have his, or her idea of what each psychosis and Mental Health diseases are, their diagnosis, and their cures, if there are [...]
When Your Mental Illness Is Treated Like a Joke Often I have found that many people around me do not fully grasp the concept of a mental illness. The term mental illness, to them, is like an alien game. Something that they do not much about, but think that they do. Having a mental illness [...]
What It Is like Living with the Pure-O Type of OCD I have Primarily Obsessional OCD (Pure-O). My OCD isn’t fully like the OCD people understand best. Or even misunderstand best. There are many types of OCD, mostly defined by the compulsions people have. It is true that people are obsessed with actions from the [...]
To my 16-year old, suicidal self, Well, I suppose the existence of this letter is a spoiler warning. You did attempt suicide, your overdose put you in the hospital for five weeks, but you didn’t die. In fact, I’m you, and I’m 18 now. I know right now you’re sure that you’ll just attempt suicide [...]
It’s time we stop making jokes about Xanax being a housewife drug. Here’s why: I stood at a standstill in the packed CVS line. People flooded passed the ‘Prescription Pick Up’ sign, and down the aisle. I was the end cap of this madness. I was there to pick up my anxiety rescue medication. [...]
Sometimes, I still find it hard to speak up about the abusive relationships I was in. As if thinking about them, writing about them, talking about them might still give them power or take up too much space in my life. Sometimes, I feel like sharing these stories might tip people off to who they [...]
I still lay awake at night wondering why no one hears me. Why everyone is so indifferent and numb to my plight of depression. Everyone like to say ‘you are not alone’ ‘all you had to do was reach out for help’ I did that and no one listened nor acknowledged my situation. I survived [...]
