I AM NOT THE DRAGON A boy arrives in the world with a punch-drunk eye, a congenital defect called myelinated retina that impacts his depth perception, his balance, and his sense of spatial placement. His parents, fearing he is ill-equipped to maneuver life’s landscapes, keep him close to the bosom, forbidding him to participate in [...]
When I created Stigma Fighters it was a blog series. It was a place where people living with mental illness could share their stories. Since that time in 2014 it has grown. We have become a non-profit organization. I am honored to have a staff of individuals working for Stigma Fighters who are passionate about [...]
Knowledge is Power For many of us it starts when we are small. For many of us it continues through adolescent and teen years. For many of us we grow up unscathed from childhood issues, taunting, or typical “rites of passage” intended to mold us into adulthood. For many of us, this is not the [...]
It hurts, Ya’ Know by Jacqueline Cioffa The earliest picture I have of me lives in the stories I’ve been told. The image of a sweet, loveable, desired baby girl with sparkly hazel eyes and an infectious, bubbly grin. Can you picture her? In her white crib with pastel yellow and blue painted sheep, beaming [...]
PTSD - My Own Personal Human Bondage I may not have went to war to have the traumatic effects of PTSD, but I do have the emotional capacity to be a bit broken down by them. My life started out dramatically to two parents who never really gave a shit of whether I lived or [...]
Professional Anxiety: Unmedicated, Unapologetic and Successful Hello, my name is Bri Clark and I suffer from anxiety and depression. Because they are like twins. Only they are like ying and yang twins. Moreover, they are totally female because only women can ride someone like these two bitches do me. Beyond that, I have four beautiful [...]
First of all, howdy y'all! My name is Carisa. I'm 38 years old. Before we get too deep into the sludge of shit I constantly weigh through daily, I'd like to tell you how and why I chose to submit this essay to Stigma Fighters. I was asked by a dear friend, whom is also [...]
In an instant I finally felt life being restored to my body. It felt like volts of electricity coursing through my veins. As the bright lights begin to come into focus, I hear faint voices becoming stronger. Did I make into the other dimension? I feel suffocated by the tube in my throat and taste [...]
Take My Hand I have decided to write about some of my own experience regarding depression. I've had it from about the age of 11, but not diagnosed officially until well into my 20's and had children of my own. I can't remember a time when depression wasn't there. People who have never had it [...]
Mental illness People assume you aren’t sick unless they see the sickness on your skin like scars forming a map of all the ways you’re hurting. My heart is a prison of Have you tried? Have you tried exercising? Have you tried eating better? Have you tried not being sad, not being sick? Have you [...]
