in-crisis support: 800.273.TALK (8255) • mental health information and resources: 877.726.4727
Working to end the stigma and discrimination of mental illness.
Self-injury is perplexing even to me, so it comes as no surprise that others have a difficult time understanding what motivates and perpetuates such “odd behavior”. I am encouraged to be honest to others, and more importantly, myself as I continue on this road.
I sincerely thank Glenn Close, her family, and everyone who has donated their time and energy to bring this topic to light. We suffer a national epidemic, about which we need to speak out, remove stigmas and communicate. We need to care, we need to do all that we can to help our loved ones. When they are gone, there is no going back.
Life had always been just a little “off” for me, well actually a lot off. I was always superhuman, yet afraid to go to other kid’s birthday parties. I was a social butterfly and a constant outcast. I always knew something was different about me; something just was not the same as my friends and family. It turns out that I am bipolar.
I am an artist, musician, and writer living with schizophrenia, undiagnosed until 2010. My childhood was clouded with hallucinations, fear, and voices. I dissociated to deal with traumatic abuse, and later in life with psychotic episodes. I assumed that I experienced the same world as everyone else. When confronted or questioned about my behavior, I became confused and hurt. Subsequently, Iʼve spent much of my life lonely and in isolation.
Psychiatrist number four was my miracle. On my first visit she gave me a ten page questionnaire to fill out. It included an extensive family history, my personal history, questions about friendships and my marriage.
Stigma hurts, but each one of us has the power to overcome it through educating others about our illness and understanding that our mental illness does not define us—it is simply an aspect of who we are.
My beautiful, compassionate daughter has borderline personality disorder. She began struggling with BPD when she was 8, but psychiatrists are reluctant to diagnose BPD in someone so young...this is not doing anyone any favors. Self harm and multiple suicide attempts are part of her history--I could only imagine the pain she felt that made her think these were her choices.
I was diagnosed as Bipolar II in May of 2011. After many years of tears and self-hate, this was a relief. Finally I understood what I needed to do.
Rachel's story about her high school classmate Ryan inspired her to create a very special video.
I was diagnosed as bipolar about five years ago, after many years of suffering a long history of depression, anxiety, mania, self-injury and disordered eating. Being a young college student, the news was frightening. I had dreams of being a teacher, and I was devastated at the thought of having my whole life's ambition jeopardized by the diagnosis.