Living with mental illness
My adventures in living with mental illness; namely Bipolar II disorder, PTSD, and trichotillomania.
I wish I could tell you that I'm getting better, but I don't know how long it will take until I actually am better. I wish I could give you a guarantee; a date that we could circle on the calendar. But, right now, it's just a big unknown. I want you to know that I have faith that I will get better, I just don't know exactly when.
Read MoreI just want to pause for a moment this week and acknowledge the overwhelming support that I have received since my last blog post. I asked for help and instead of cringing and turning away, you listened. I asked for what I needed and it has been provided for in abundance. I have received texts, tweets, phone calls, letters, meals, and packages from all over...from people who are close to me, and from people who barely know me. And, instead of letting myself feel like a garbage person who doesn't deserve any of it, I have tried to accept the love that is being shown to me: the kind of love that everyone deserves.
Read MoreHave you ever had one of those moments where everything makes sense, and yet nothing makes sense all at the same time? I’ve had a few of those recently. The first time was learning that I may have a dissociative disorder (more on that in my next post). The second was when I received a new diagnosis: Bipolar II disorder. I wasn’t surprised. I’ve known for awhile that there was something else going on with me besides just being depressed and anxious, but I had trouble articulating it. I knew those times in between being depressed where I felt good were suspiciously good…too good…and often involved me feeling completely jumpy and restless, like I needed to run a marathon or buy all the things.
Read MoreI’ve been sick the past few days and have neglected to keep up with my writing for the A to Z Blogging Challenge. It seemed to work out, though, as these three letters kind of go together: they all express needs that people with mental illness have at some point: the need for deeper conversation; the need for patience; and the need for quiet. So, here are my entries for the past few days.
Read MoreMy life is a house. The basics are its foundation. Self-soothing: the windows and doors. And a strong community of people is what makes up the walls and roof of my house. Without that community, I would be exposed to the elements…not able to last very long on my own. But I have people that support me that make my house a home.
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