The Forgetful Genius

I have a cousin with bipolar disorder who is also schizophrenic. My mother and a cousin suffer from depression of varying degrees at various times. Other family members experience seasonal depression and I have experienced both major anxiety (for the last 10 years) which requires medication and went through a deep depression last fall. Additionally, my former in-laws both lived with OCD. My family also has various types of addictions scattered around.

. . . I want to leave this post as an introduction to my participation in this Project. I will write more throughout the year about my experience with anxiety and depression. I feel strongly that discussions about mental health should no longer be a taboo so that the people who need help feel comfortable seeking it or their families will help. We’re all in this world together and need to help each other with our needs.

Read the post in its entirety!  Visit Blog for Mental Health | The Forgetful Genius.

The War in My Brain

There were days that I struggled to get myself motivated to go to class.  It was the fear, rather than laziness or sleepiness that kept me away.  I couldn’t make myself face the unseen demon: contamination.

Going to class was in itself an ordeal.  There was never a time that I was late, when I went, which was honestly not as often as I would have liked.  I had to make sure that I got MY seat.  MY seat was usually the one on one of the extremes of the room and always at the end, never in the middle.  I had to be sure that I could make a quick getaway if anyone was to become “ill” in class or if I became too overwhelmed, which was difficult because I was overwhelmed as soon as I walked through the doors.

Read the post in its entirety!  Visit Blog For Mental Health 2014 | The War in My Brain.

Fourth Wall Down

. . . The only way to wipe out stigma is to foster understanding and to share our stories.  It can be a scary proposition.  In the past, those who struggled with issues of the mind have been targeted, abused, and worse for their parts – history repeats itself, either within our personal interactions or on a grander scale, and it takes courage to stand on a rooftop shouting “I am sick!”

The people who run this initiative seem to understand that.  There is strength in numbers.  My childhood family was essentially torn apart by mental illness of all kinds and as I watch my own young family grow, I hope that there will be more options for us if we were ever to face similar trials.  Mental illness can run in families.

Read  the post in its entirety!  Visit Blog for Mental Health 2014 | Fourth Wall Down.

JDTenacity

I pledge my commitment to the Blog for Mental Health 2014 Project. I will blog about mental health topics not only for myself, but for others. By displaying this badge, I show my pride, dedication, and acceptance for mental health. I use this to promote mental health education in the struggle to erase stigma. I aim to learn more about mental health while educating others along my journey. Our society needs to address mental health concerns to eliminate the stigma and provide support for those in need.

Learn more!  Visit My commitment to the Blog for Mental Health 2014 Project | JDTenacity.

Something Write

As a woman, as a lesbian and as a mentally ill person I believe that I couldn’t be alive at a better time in history, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. I have been treated for psychiatric disorders for 30 years. My current diagnoses are schizoaffective disorder and epilepsy. During my life I have seen depression become almost acceptable, however I never mention the S word (schizophrenia) if I want to maintain a friendship with someone I meet.

Read the post in its entirety!  Visit Blogging for Mental Health Project 2014 – My Pledge | Something Write.