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Written by: Neely http://deardarlingsanity.com/ As a 24 year old female who has endured, suffered and been at the mercy of ill mental health I am inspired by campaigns by charities such as, Mind, Re-Think, and B-eat to talk. Having experienced discrimination, ignorance and stigma throughout my own struggles I truly believe that it is time to talk in order to reduce these negativities surrounding not only the topic of mental health, but also for those experiencing it. Through diagnosis after diagnosis I remain in recovery for a disorder best described as somewhere between Borderline Personality Disorder and a Dissociative Disorder. In my time I haveRead More →

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Written by: http://www.allinyourhead.co.uk/ When days become your night time and night becomes your day time, unless you are working a permanent night shift, there is a problem. The anxiety/panic had become so bad, I could only sleep when I was surrounded by familiar faces and voices. In my mind, there was theory. I’m a happy person generally, always game for a laugh and a joke , love a giggle and have to see people smile. However, I was having attacks so frequently that my mind was set on the next one being ‘the one’ to finish me. So my thinking was, ‘if it is goingRead More →

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By: Keith O’Neil keithoneil.com Everything was perfect. I had recently retired from the NFL with a Super Bowl ring. I was working in a great industry as a medical device representative. Jill and I had recently settled into our dream home located in a beautiful suburb outside of my hometown of Buffalo, NY. We were back around family and friends on a regular basis for the first time in many years – we were enjoying life! Thoughts of having a family of our own were on the horizon. Life was good, even great.Read More →

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In: Bipolar, Coping Tips, Living with Mental Illness, Personal Stories, Supporting a Loved One
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By Elena Peters thebipolarmaniac.com   In many ways, my marriage is no different than anyone else’s marriage. This is the second marriage for both my husband and I. We both have children from previous marriages. We both have ex-spouses that are still involved in our lives on a daily basis. We have extended families with varied backgrounds, sprinkled all around the world. We have jobs and mortgages and commitments that pull us in all sorts of directions. Just like any other marriage, there are things that bug me! My husband leaves the toilet seat up, doesn’t put the cap back on the toothpaste and leavesRead More →

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my depression story Alex

By Alex  Source: lifewellwandered.com Hi, I’m Alex and I have depression. I’m not depressed at the time of this writing. But I do have depression. It sucks. And it likes to strike at the most inopportune moments. Isn’t that how it always is? (note/TW: this is how I have experienced anxiety and depression, and sometimes still do) But first, Anxiety: I’m very open about my experience with anxiety. Mostly because I feel like it’s more accepted. Sure, it might debilitate me, cause my mind to spiral out of control, make me cry, make me sick, make me too afraid to leave my home sometimes. But itRead More →

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by Kurt Cunningham http://www.citizenkurt.net/ I tried to end my life one night after having a wonderful fun-filled evening with friends. It was in November 2012 — I had a plan in place for months. Not one person had any idea what I was planning to do. After a series of life-changing events that began in 2009 and included the closing my once- successful business of nine years, and culminated with the death of my mother in August 2012 life just seemed unbearable to me. My finances were a mess. My health wasn’t great. And I couldn’t make a romantic relationship last more than a fewRead More →

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Written by Anita Levesque Next week, October 5-11, 2014, is Mental Illness Awareness Week. I know this week is important, but has it REALLY been given the attention it deserves in the past? I don’t think so. When I heard the news of Robin Williams and saw the media attention, days and weeks following, it made me sad. Why does it always take the death of a celebrity to build the awareness of mental illness? Mental illness should be a DAILY awareness, not just when something unimaginable occurs.Read More →

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In: Coping Tips, Depression, In The Workplace, Living with Mental Illness, Personal Stories, Supporting a Loved One
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Being broke and having depression go hand-in-hand. I’m really sick of it. Even if money can’t buy happiness, it can buy basic necessities like food and shelter. It’s pretty hard to be happy without those things. I need more money, but my symptoms of depression make finding a job really difficult. While the average person in their twenties focuses on building a resume, I’ve been focused on surviving my depression. Instead of attending post-secondary school, I’ve been in depression treatment, learning about my own experiences and how to cope in everyday life. Living with depression is a full time job.Read More →

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If you are a friend or relative of a loved one with mental illness, you too suffer the effects of the disorder. Burn out, compassion fatigue, hopelessness and feelings of powerlessness can go hand in hand while accompanying someone on their journey of recovery. As much as the struggle is theirs; it’s yours as well. You, as a personal caregiver are equally if not more vulnerable to burnout as those who are in the helping professions. Caregiver burnout: not just a sporadic weekend of feeling overwhelmed and overtired, but an unrelenting fatigue and emotional exhaustion which forces hundreds of people to take extended periods ofRead More →