mental illness

My compulsions feel like the manifestation of all my faults, rather than what I logically understand them to be: symptoms of an illness I happen to have. I am so ashamed of them that I go to extreme lengths to hide them from the people around me.

“You are not the only person in the world who has anxiety. You are not the only person in the world who has depression. You’re not the only person in the world who has thoughts of self-harm. There are people who want to help you. There are people who have spent their entire lives helping people like you and me and all of the people that you’re seeing in this video. And you’re not alone. You are okay.”

"...Mental illness isn’t that exclusive. It doesn’t care how your day is going."

Two months ago, I filed for disability for unmedicated bipolar disorder. I had spent weeks dangling from tiring hands over a spiky precipice – or so it seemed. There were days of crying at my desk, days of inexplicable panic attacks in the face of a normal workload.

The truth is that people suffering from mental illnesses are far more likely to be the victims of violence than its perpetrators.

In honor of World Bipolar Day, I present a sample stream of consciousness based on my experiences living with this disorder.

I don't recall meeting my first love. It seems he was always with me.

When speaking with eating disorder victims, what not to say is as important as what to say.