My Life Is Amazing... Yet I Still Struggle With a Mental Illness
My life is amazing. I have an amazing husband, awesome kids, a safe and warm house, all the food we could want and enough money to pay the bills, yet I still struggle with a mental illness. Every single day, I take these pills to keep me mentally and physically healthy. I’m sharing this because I’m not ashamed; it’s not something I think I should deal with in secret. It doesn’t mean I’m weak or that I lack perseverance or strength. It means my mental illness has biological and environmental factors that affect me, so I get help for it. My medication, along with weekly counseling, daily yoga and pilates and my writing keep me where I need to be.
People use Facebook and personal blogs for all different sorts of reasons. I’ve always used both platforms to be nothing but honest. It’s OK if you just like to look at people’s lives. It’s OK if you just want to share the good stuff. It’s just Facebook. Personally, I use it to reach out and maybe help someone who went through what I went through. I use Facebook as a platform for people to talk about their mental health, their counseling and their medications. So there you have it. If you feel like joining me in fighting the stigma, comment with your med/counseling routine. What habits do you use to stay mentally healthy? Maybe it’s just meditation, prayer or exercise. Let’s lend our understanding to others who need it. Let’s look for those warning signs in our friends and acquaintances. Let’s really mean it when we ask, “Are you OK?”
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I am a breast cancer survivor, diagnosed at age 35. I am also the daughter of a Vietnam Veteran who had severe PTSD. I have a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Sociology. I write about my experiences with my dad as well as my own mental and physical health.
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