Depression has made me want to shrink myself, hide away, avoid all of the phone calls, emails, and text messages. Depression has robbed my creativity, my motivation, my confidence and strength. But I can’t hide. The stigma surrounding mental illness is begging me to be brave. Stigma harms the 1 in 5 Americans affected byContinue reading “Let’s End the Stigma”
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“Imagine all of the things you would do if you didn’t believe the negative thoughts you have about yourself.” A rush of emotion–shame and sadness that lie dormant deep inside me made their way to the surface as large, sopping tears filled my eyes. I was in my dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) group and IContinue reading “You Are Not Your Thoughts”
Perfect—a word that carries a weight too heavy to sustain. Perfect is a crutch I have used for much of my life. Imperfect and broken on the inside, I dared not expose the bruises to the outside world. I feared rejection, embarrassment, isolation, and shame. What I didn’t realize is that by denying myself theContinue reading “Finding Beauty in Imperfection”
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After sharing part of my personal mental health journey on Facebook, Ali invited me to share a bit of my own story via her blog. I have appreciated the opportunity to spend time collecting my thoughts; sometimes I am guilty of progressing through life without taking time to truly reflect. For me, writing is aContinue reading “Mental Health Matters (Guest Post)”
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What does vulnerability mean to you? For me, it’s stepping out of the shadow and removing the “perfect” mask to expose my full, authentic self. And it is both terrifying and amazing. Vulnerability does not come easy for me. The diagnosis of two mental health disorders battled fiercely with my perfectionism. And my concern regardingContinue reading “Be Vulnerable? I Don’t Think So.”
Mental Illness is My Superpower