Kayla
on
Sometimes it feels like society says you should be always happy, and that showing your sadness is a sign of weakness. This is far from true – if you were to hold in all your sadness or anger you would explode. We all have good and bad days. No one can be perfectly happy all […]
Kayla
on
The summer before my freshman year of high school I decided that after years of putting golf to the side I was going to try and learn again, hopeful that I could play on our high school team. In the months before that summer I had been struggling with the grief of my mother’s death, […]
Julia
on
One of the hardest parts about dealing with Bipolar Disorder is the unpredictable mood swings. Originally I was diagnosed with Bipolar 1 Disorder, but recently was told by my doctor that I am probably dealing with Bipolar 2 Disorder because I do not have full-blown manic episodes. Either way, not knowing when a depressive episode […]
Kayla
on
My own personal story with self-harm began in ninth grade. I can remember sitting in my room feeling overwhelmed and confused. I didn’t know what to do so I turned to self-harm. I had remembered that a friend of mine in seventh grade had struggled with self-harm. I knew how hard it was for her […]
Leah
on
I just got discharged from an inpatient psychiatric hospitalization. I see a therapist once a week. Every Monday and Thursday, I spend an hour in group therapy. Then I change into my scrubs and drive to work. I’m a psychiatric nurse. I’m also a psychiatric patient. “You don’t know about bipolar disorder. You can’t really […]
Julia
on
One of the biggest personal struggles that I have had to face, in terms of caring for my anxiety, OCD, and bipolar 2 disorder, is the ongoing search for the right medication. Being a yoga instructor, I disliked the idea of relying solely on a medication, or perhaps several, to make me feel better. Over […]
Kayla
on
Seeking help can be one of the hardest parts of recovery but to me it is also one of the most important. If no one else knows that you are struggling, you cannot receive the help and support you deserve. Talking about things you yourself might not even understand can be very challenging, but once […]
Leah
on
The expectation of many teens in the US is to choose a college and an academic path that will direct you to the ultimate goal of beginning the career that presumably will be what you do for the rest of your life. I chose a four year program that would lead to my Bachelor of […]
Alexandra
on
In December 2015, at the recommendation of my psychologist, I had my first visit with a doctor specializing in psychopharmacology. This doctor was an expert in prescribing medication for teens struggling with mental illness. For the first time in months, I had a newfound sense of hope. However, four months later I had been on […]
Julia
on
One of the hardest parts of having a mental illness is being pulled away from the things that you love.