“According to the media, I was going to become a lonely crazy person or a full-on murderer. It was only a matter of time before I became a monster.”
‘Is Mike really dead?’ I went to his funeral only yesterday. I spiraled.’: Woman shares journey with psychosis to break stigma, ‘It shouldn’t be a scary word’
‘Thanks for talking about this. I think I need help too.’ It hit me there were tons of others dealing with the same issues.’: Mental health warrior urges ‘stop the stigma’
“None of us had anyone else to relate to – until now.”
‘Maybe college just isn’t for you,’ they said.’: Woman with schizoaffective disorder celebrates college graduation
“I had no clue I graduated with honors.”
‘We deliver everlasting hugs to anyone who may need it.’: Grieving family send over 10k suicide prevention blankets after mom of 3 passes away
“We were in such a dark place, we had to find a way out. We chose to put Annie in front of us, not behind us.”
5 Things Everyone Needs To Know About Mental Illness
“Mental health disorders do not have a ‘look.'”
‘I can’t do this another day!’ My hands were rotten, my skin so red and thin I could see my bone through it.’: Teen OCD survivor becomes mental health advocate, ‘There’s light at the end of the tunnel’
“’I found her blue,’ my nurse explained. What? How bad was this? My family watched in horror as I destroyed my body and soul. Then something flipped. I just wanted to go home.”
‘I remember saying the very words, ‘Not her.’ That was my breaking point. Hurt me, but not my sister. I threatened to tell my mommy what they did.’: After surviving abuse, cancer woman says ‘sometimes just having someone to talk to is enough’
“I tried to hide it from my parents but their child had changed and they knew something had happened. I walked onto the bridge with tears in my eyes. This is how I would do it. She watched me, and through the grace of God, decided she should call the police. This woman, I truly believe, was an angel.”
‘Eff the PTO!’ I wanted to throw my computer against the wall. I was DONE. AA meetings? I stopped going altogether.’: Mom quits PTO to focus on sobriety, now works on ‘being present with kids’ instead of ‘giving too much’ to make up for ‘past failures’
“For 20 years, I drank. I missed birthdays, sports, parent-teacher conferences. My kids never knew if they were getting the calm, sober mom or the angry-drunk mom. Guilt ate me alive and my sobriety turned me into a new person: the yes mom. Volunteer as a coach for my daughter’s softball team? Sure thing! Soccer team needs a manager? Oh, me, me. I’ll do it! I was in over my head. I thought this PTO gig would make it up to my kids, but I was DONE.”
‘I never thought I’d be one of ‘those’ people. You know, the ones who lose control of their lives and spiral. Turns out, I’m wrong.’: Woman learns to ‘celebrate imperfections’ after trip to psych ward, reminds us failing is only ‘human’
“My partner and I kept arguing. Stress mounted. Next thing you know, I was dry heaving, teeth chattering. I just lost it. All of it. For the next 24 hours, I couldn’t speak to anyone from the outside, not even my husband. The paper scrubs the emergency room had given me had to come off, leaving me naked, shaking, and disoriented. How was this even real? I felt like I was watching a scene from a movie, rather than participating in my own life. But it was happening, and it was REAL.”
‘There’s no quick fix. There WILL always be a next panic attack, a next day of self-harm or cloud of doubt. I started to feel I wasn’t enough for him. I couldn’t pray away the dark times.’
“There’s nothing I want more than to see his beautiful smile. But part of being in love with someone struggling with mental health is dealing with the ugly. It’s true what they say. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. But there’s also a damn dimmer switch in that tunnel too.”
