One year ago today, I shuffled out of the psych ward. They said I was ready to face the world again, and that my suicidal thoughts were under control. I wasn’t so sure. I knew the demons that I still faced every morning, and every night, and every moment in between. But, I was apparently [...]
Recovery is Non-Linear Recovery is non-linear. Anyone who says that getting better is a straight line - I want their secret. I want to be stable, but what does that mean? It means sometimes being unstable, wobbly, broken in particular ways. We shatter and come together. We hurt and we heal. We scream, cry or [...]
One thing I wish I had as someone who is very new to the recovery process is a letter from someone else navigating the ups and downs of recovery. So this is for them. And for me. And for you. Dear brave, scared, beautiful you, The you that has just begun the recovery journey as [...]
A year ago, I didn’t think I’d be here. I didn’t think I’d be alive, but I'm thankful I am. I wouldn't have been able to share my story, wouldn't have been able to let other people know they aren't alone. Six months ago I was diagnosed with Bipolar 1 Disorder, ADHD, acute PTSD, and [...]
Today I read, "growth is painful. change is painful. but nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don't belong." I don't feel stuck these days. I feel like I am learning to fly. As I am learning to fly, I wanted to use a butterfly metaphor ... but then I decided that moths [...]
My name is Thea, and I’ve been living with schizoaffective depressive type for a long time. It’s been maybe fifteen years since I started going to the psychiatric hospital. I’ve identified a few triggers that contribute to increased symptoms of schizophrenia. I try to live a life that’s simple and that doesn’t contribute to symptoms. [...]
We use anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 of the 171,476 basic words that make up the English language. Words make us human. Novelists use words to tell stories that make us laugh or cry. Lawyers mix words and confound us with pages of secret code. Language entertains us; we use it to share joy, to [...]
When I first started writing my novel “(Not) Alone”, it began as a way for me to see the things I have done on paper, a way for me to constantly remind myself that I can overcome anything. I began it as a fictional story with the characters named after other people in my life [...]
Let me preface this by saying this: five years ago, I was diagnosed with #BipolarDisorder, #Depression, and Severe #Anxiety. After fifteen years of dealing with it alone, I had finally sought help. I went so long because I was ashamed of not being ‘normal’, but I have come to realize that none of us are [...]
I was always an anxious child. I was anxious about serious things, like potentially losing my parents, and I was anxious about silly things, like glitter (seriously! glitter!). I remember seeing a therapist starting when I was around 10 years old, because of my anxiety. Depression reared its ugly head during my adolescent years, and [...]
