Bob’s Story
I am 59 years old, now. One of my sisters, the one closest to me in age and temperament, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the early 90s.
Stories
Larissa’s Story
My name is Larissa and I was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2004. Overwhelmed with life's difficulties, including the stress of the college transition, a sense of separation from the people and places I dearly loved, and tormented by a world that existed only in my mind...
Pete’s Story
One of the insights I’ve been graced with is understanding how many new gifts come with my bi polar. By being forced to focus our attention on our inner lives, we discover new paths of creativity an our hearts of courage. We dedicate our lives to finding the love and peace and justice that we have only imagined in the privacy of our own hearts.
Denise’s Story
"Mom, something is wrong in my head. I dont know what it is but I dont want to live like this. I dont want you or Daddy to live with this either. No Doctor will ever be able to fix me." I made a promise to get him help.
Jan’s Story
Mental illness is just that: Illness. We often forget that. There is always suffering with pain, but with the type of anguish that mental illness brings, pain takes on a sometimes more sinister feeling. I might suffer some pain if I break my leg, but it will eventually heal and I will walk again without agony. It’s not the same with those of us with “broken” brains.
Lindsey’s Story
I was diagnosed with Major Depression and Panic Disorder when I was 13 years old. I've been hospitalized 3 times for my illness, once, when I was 24 because of a suicide attempt, that was a direct result of the stigma surrounding Mental Illness. I got better, changed my surroundings, met an amazing man, married him, and became stronger.
Elizabeth B’s Story
I'm so incredibly thankful for my family and friends, most of whom stuck by me this whole time and just wanted the old me to return. Finally after 3 years of this, my psychologist diagnosed me as having bipolar.
Lauren P’s Story
One, two, three, four, walk to the right, then left, a straight line. We have all heard that saying as kids when walking on the sidewalk, “don’t step on the crack, or you will break your mother’s back!” I have taken that quote seriously, a little too seriously, in life. My mind floods with “you must step over the crack, or something really bad will happen to me or my mom...”
Jessica’s Story
I was diagnosed with manic depressive disorder about 3 years ago, but I've been dealing with it since I was 12 years old. From 12 to 15 years old I constanly daydreamed about ending the pain permanently.
Subrina’s Story
At 16, I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder. While this is stigmatized holistically in our society, being part of the Indian community this was a taboo.