For most of my life, I have battled depression and mania. There were weeks on end when I could not get out of bed. I would scold myself for not being whatever it was I needed to be that day: a better mother or a better wife. I would also spend weeks or months
As those of us who live with the diagnosis know, schizophrenia is a difficult condition to relate to. Most people can sympathize with someone who is suffering from an evident physical injury, such as a broken leg. They can also understand the plight of someone with a less visible illness, like cancer. Perhaps they
As mental health experts and people living with mental illness know all too well, the stigma surrounding mental illness can be highly destructive. Indeed, negative and discriminatory attitudes that are commonly held about people living with mental illness can adversely impact nearly every aspect of their lives. Notably, this cultural taboo discourages many people from seeking
In 2011, when I was diagnosed with major depressive order and generalized anxiety disorder during my first semester of college, I wasn’t exactly surprised. Mostly, I was relieved to have an explanation. The diagnoses felt like a validation of the sleepless nights, unexplainable chest pains, spiraling thoughts, crushing despair and constant exhaustion. There was
As I reflect on my journey with mental health, both personally and professionally, I am reminded how stigma pervades casual conversation and language — and just how damaging this stigma can be. For as long as I can remember, I have heard people use mental health diagnoses to describe everyday scenarios, like temperature changes
This year marks a decade since I first sought treatment for my mental health. During my sophomore year of college, following nearly five years of chronic and debilitating migraines, I was referred to a school therapist. Shortly after visiting the school psychiatrist and therapist, I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder
During P.E. in my sophomore year of high school, the coach had the class stand up in a circle. “Take everything off your wrists,” she commanded. A few teens had bandanas and wide bracelets on; they took them off. “Now, lift your hands to the ceiling, wrists facing me,” she said sternly with furrowed
In her autobiography, CBS Sunday Morning anchor Jane Pauley reveals that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in her late forties. She also mentions that upon hospitalization for her symptoms, a doctor recommended she tell her employer that she was receiving treatment for a thyroid condition. Pauley goes on to describe the incident as
If someone you love experiences a mental health crisis, do you know where to turn for help? Would you call 911 hoping that the person who responds has been trained in de-escalation? Would you go to the hospital emergency room hoping that your loved one won’t be left to sit there for days? Too
Oftentimes, physical and mental health symptoms are deeply interwoven. Stress may give us headaches. Panic can feel like a heart attack. Receiving a long-delayed surgery may bring relief from physical symptoms as well as worry and anxiety. While we experience mental health symptoms throughout our entire bodies, our health care system has long separated