Mental Health Stories: Part 1

 Hi everyone! Today's post is very special because I've gathered the stories of people from all walks of life. These people are from all over the world, and it goes to show that mental illness does not discriminate. Thank you for all the incredible people who shared. Stay tuned for the next part of this series!

Be kind to people, you don't know what they're going through.

♡ Saige

Taryn Barnes-Roberts

I think, as a society, we are confused about what mental health is and especially the difference between good mental health and bad mental health. Someone can have a good day and still have bad mental health, just like someone who has good mental health can have a bad day. Mental health also has a lot to do with how someone is affected or reacts to these good or bad days.

I have struggled with my mental health for many years. I have multiple mental illnesses, recently I have been really struggling with anorexia and unstable moods. I spent last summer in the hospital for my eating disorder but I feel like I am struggling even more now, it feels like everyone is working against me, including my doctors and family. My moods are very unstable and unpredictable, minor things can send me into an uncontrolled breakdown or big things won't even faze me and sometimes I’ll impulsively do risky and crazy things. Lately, I have been fighting harder than ever but at the same time giving up. My first and most appealing solution to everything is always to end my life. I’ve turned to substances to help stabilize me and have virtually no sense of who I am.  

This is only a fraction of my story, this considered; I really do feel happy sometimes, some mornings it’s easy to get out of bed. I have finally found some amazing friends who make me feel happy. My family is fairly disappointing and I have been through a few tragic events however, my life isn’t really that bad, I just have bad mental health. Anyone can have bad mental health, and it doesn’t always look the same.

“Why don’t you just take your meds?”
I don’t think people really understand how hard it is to take something when you don’t know what it is. Because it seems like every three weeks -while I’m looking up what the result of mixing my meds with whatever drug I just took will be- I discover a new side effect/symptom of them (my meds).
I have many disorders/mental illnesses and I have many so-called “resources”, I have even spent months in a hospital; however I feel like I have no idea what is going on inside or around me. I don’t know what the titles I have been given even mean, I don’t know what half my meds even do. How can I feel safe and trust people when I am in a constant state of uncertainty and paranoia. If an individual such as myself, who has done extensive research and is surrounded by professionals, is complex; people who have had little exposure to the world of mental illness/health must be completely oblivious.

Not everyone needs to know in-depth about every mental illness or the treatment, however, individuals who are more deeply affected by a mental illness should be offered this information rather than left feeling abandoned and confused. Everyone needs to know more about mental illness and what it really looks like. Talking to numerous people, I have learned that most people know little to nothing about mental illnesses. For someone who is suffering, I feel alone and scared, and like I have no control over what is happening to me. Many people would benefit if society- ourselves included-was more aware of our struggle.

Bia Maugeri

Mental health and my mental health issues have been a big part of my life since the start of my teenage years. Mental health for me affects me daily, it isn’t just how I’m feeling or looking like on the outside, it’s how I'm feeling on the inside. I can look perfectly happy, but be having one of my worst days mentally. A lot of people think depression is just being sad, anxiety is just a shaking leg, and anorexia is just only eating lettuce leaves. That’s far from the truth. I developed anorexia at the age of 11 and subsequently developed severe anxiety and depression. I’ve been in and out of treatment for my eating disorder, and I’ve been on meds for my mental illnesses for over 3 years. What keeps me going is knowing that there is so much life waiting for me out there, that “you can’t live a full life on an empty stomach”, and that there are so many amazing things to experience out of the hospital.

Hailey Orourke

My mental health. It's always something I've struggled with. I've been teased about it, and have been shamed for it. I have been struggling with depression and ADHD for a while now and it's been hard, having those days where it hurts to just get out of bed, when you just can't do anything. I'm not too great in school from the lack of focus I can handle. My parents understand some of it but not all. My parents have helped me through so much. I take meds for depression and I get teased for it, which is not something that should be happening in the world. Mental illnesses are not something to be ashamed of, and should not be hidden underneath everything. I'm not saying you have to tell everyone you meet, but don't hide it. 

I have been teased about my scars before, and I've been told to cut deeper, and all that kind of stuff. Why do people insist on being so cruel and mean to people who are hurting and sad? It's ok to have your own opinions on different stuff, but that does not mean you need to share it, or shame people for thinking differently than you. Mental health has always been a big staple in my household. My whole family (except my Dad) is in therapy. And I'm not ashamed to say that I need therapy and that it's helping me to be okay. I wish everyone's family could understand like mine does. Thank you.