by Caroll Montague Price When I was 26 years old, my symptoms of mental illness caused many problems for me. I started to have emotional problems for the first time and was hospitalized in Texas. One of my darkest moments was when I was having a lot of fear and feeling angry about life. In … Continue reading Personal Story: Recovery
by Courtney Maupin I strongly believe that everyone can receive help from the use of positive coping skills. My diagnosis requires that the majority of my treatment is the use of coping skills; some are incorporated into my daily routine and some are only used on those really bad days. I created a personal daily … Continue reading Personal Story: My Coping Skills
The voices in my head were real and kept getting louder. They were the sounds of many aliens all talking at once. Though I could not understand the words, I understood the harsh ridiculing tone in which these outer space beings spoke. The voices continued to taunt louder. Fear began to take control. Instinctively, I … Continue reading Personal Story: All Things Can Be Good
by Robert Spencer In the light of recent events, there has been a lot of focus on mental illness and it hasn’t been positive. Studies have shown that people living with mental illness are far more likely to be the victims of violent crimes than the perpetrators, but that doesn’t stop some in society … Continue reading Personal Story: Don’t Call Me Crazy
The voices in my head were real and kept getting louder. They were the sounds of many aliens all talking at once. Though I could not understand the words, I understood the harsh ridiculing tone in which these outer space beings spoke. The voices continued to taunt louder. Fear began to take control. Instinctively, I … Continue reading Personal Story: All Things Can Be Good
My depression initially began when my grandmother and uncle died within months of each other. At the time, I was working as an RN, and was proud to say I had saved every patient under my watch. But it devastated me that I could not save my uncle from cancer and I could not save … Continue reading Personal Story: There Is Hope!
For so many years of my life, my greatest wish was to not exist. I felt like all of the imperfections that I carry only burdened those around me, making their lives worse. I believed that my feelings of hopelessness, shame, and guilt were all of my own doing. It was all my fault. Somewhere … Continue reading Personal Story: Imperfectly Perfect
by Melody Nolan, M.S. I can still hear my 4-year-old brother, John, singing, “Love is something if you give it away, you end up having more!” I can also still hear the phone nearly 25 years later. I was in the depths of depression, so I didn’t answer. It kept ringing. I finally answered. “Melody? I’ve … Continue reading Personal Story: Celebrating Life During Life
I made the decision to own my story. I would confide in people I trusted. I was surprised how many people had experiences with depression, anxiety, or other mental illnesses or knew someone who did. I read books on mental illness and emotional intelligence so I could recognize my symptoms while they were happening.
My specialty is saying exactly what’s on my mind when I lose my temper. In a manic outburst, I can deliver a message with stunning clarity and laser precision. My words are a shot to the center of the heart. I’ve lost friends. I’ve worked extremely hard on this, and it rarely happens now. Nevertheless, I have a history.
