Mental Health First Person Essays: We feature stories of mental health, empowerment, and change, including mental health first person essays, by and for those with mental health challenges.
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Childhood Trauma and Abandonment: My Long BPD Path to Recovery
From abandonment and shame to diagnosis and healing, Lisa’s story reveals the lifelong impact of trauma—and the courage to stop abandoning herself.
Why Do You Do That: My Journey with OCD
Follow Rosie’s candid personal essay on living with OCD, exploring compulsions, control, perfectionism, and the quiet question that changed everything: “Why do you do that?”
From Fearing Food to Embracing it — Eating Disorder and OCD Recovery in the Kitchen
A cookbook author with an eating disorder and OCD finds recovery in connecting with people through baking.
Dubious of Disclosure: Delving into my Depression
Disclosing depression may seem easy. After all, scarcely a day goes by when this celebrity or that one “comes out” as living with depression, or anxiety (two of the socially “acceptable” mental health diagnoses) but, for many people, talking openly about their mental health challenges, whatever those are, isn’t easy; it can be excruciating, and the very thought of being out in the open as someone living with mental illness can be incredibly, well, anxiety-provoking. Miriam Beigelman doesn’t take coming forward lightly, and she talks about this in her brave essay.
Chaos Comes to Light — A Therapist’s Life With AuDHD and Eating Disorder Recovery
A therapist with an eating disorder finally finds recovery after realising she has ADHD and autism.
Barefoot Mornings – A Walk to Calm My ADHD Brain
A young woman goes on a walk to clear her mind and cope with her struggles with ADHD and anxiety.
From Rehab To Academia: How Learning About The Brain Saved Me From Alcoholism
Ben Roman spent the better part of his twenties drinking, caught up in a cycle of self-loathing, and he did not see a way out. A trip to rehab and a chance encounter with another alcoholic, however, led to a fascination with the brain, an academic career, and a new life partner.
Healing Without Forgiveness: My Journey Through Trauma Recovery
After years of childhood neglect from her parents, Amanda Gregory has been asking herself if she needs to forgive in order to move on. Now a licensed trauma psychotherapist, she’s exploring how forgiveness can harm victims, and she’s choosing her own path to recovery.
From the Executive Director of Recovery Diaries: A Thank You, With Love (and Anxiety)
Gabe Nathan, Executive Director of a mental health organization thanks the Recovery Diaries community for their support.
My Parents Were in Denial Until It Was Too Late: The Danger of Ignoring Early Warning Signs of Depression
Hope Mwaura tried and tried to express to her parents that something was wrong: she was losing weight, performing worse in school, forgetting about hygiene. But her parents told her to pray more, to stop overthinking, to make the decision to be happy, until it was too late.
Enough Was Enough – Overcoming a Traumatic Workplace
An obstetric nurse recovers from PTSD after retiring from the relentless medical system.
I Travelled The World During a Manic Episode, But Could I Make It Home?
Erroneously believing her father’s death was imminent, Heather Bradford made the long trek from Canada to Australia, only to find her father was fine, and that she was experiencing a manic episode. Throughout her traumatic journey, she is protected by the kindness of strangers and family alike.
An Ex-Inmate with Mental Illness Shares the Keys to Mind Freedom
Steve Rothwell, bipolar disorder, mental illness, ocd, obsessive compulsive disorder, trauma, imprisonment, prisoner, freedom, prison, incarceration, recovery, personal essay
Overcoming the Trauma of Erasure
For Shumaila Hemani, an immigrant seeking permanent status in Canada, enduring the trauma of erasure is a constant struggle.
Living in Loops: Understanding My Life With OCD
A young woman learns to live a healthy life while compassionately dealing with OCD.
Out of Addiction and Into The Open
A man breaks his 20-year cocaine addiction with the help of the 12-step program.
A Smart Scale Warped My Body Image, But Here’s What I Learned
A smart scale threatened to undo Naima Karp’s positive body image and disordered eating.
To Reference After The Disaster: When The Warning Signs of Depression Are Ignored
In a letter to her younger self, Angeline Walsh details how the coming years will be a challenge with OCD, anxiety, and depression. People won’t believe you, you’ll doubt yourself, but you will rise above.
A Flight Back to My Truest Self – Recovery from Emetophobia
A young man emerges from isolation and begins to travel again after receiving help for emetophobia and anxiety.
My Mental Struggle: Battling That Bitch Bulimia and Her Bitch Sister, Anorexia
Cheri Shandra, a trauma-informed coach, is living in recovery with bulimia and anorexia.
Writing Through Grief, Addiction and Recovery (And How My Biggest Breakdown Led To My Biggest Breakthrough)
Danielle Marr has discovered how writing can help her live with addiction and recovery.
A Promise to Keep Choosing Life: Bipolar, Psychosis, and Recovery
A woman decides to find a way to thrive with bipolar and psychosis through art and therapy.
Do I Look Like a Crazy Person? Speaking Out and Up with Mental Illness
Valéry Brousseau isn’t a “crazy person”; she’s a Canadian mental health advocate sharing her story of hope.
From “Suck It Up” to Speaking Out: My Way Through Panic Disorder and Depression
A young man finds a way to navigate life with panic and depression in a healthy way.
The Healing Power of Self-Witness after Trauma
Melissa Dagenhart lived through an act of violence; her essay is about recovery after trauma.
Making Counting Manageable: When OCD and Compulsions Become a Problem Later in Life
Hannah Green has always felt compelled to count. She counts her steps, the clicks of her turn signal, the number of times a ball bounces while playing a game. And this was all innocent and unproblematic, until it wasn’t.
The Little Girl Inside of Me: The Importance of Reparenting Your Inner Child
This mental health recovery story focuses on Morrene, whose healing journey led her to understand the inner child that still lives in her and reparent herself.
My Shame: How My Anxiety Keeps Causing Me to Quit
Daniel Gaughan writes about how “my anxiety keeps causing me to quit.”
Why More Than the Madness: Writing About Bipolar
John Kaniecki lives and writes with bipolar disorder.
The Death that Gifted my Purpose; Living (and Writing) with Trauma and Bipolar Disorder
A screenwriter is affected by the death of his young friend while managing his bipolar disorder.
From Shadows to Light: A Teacher’s Journey Through Depression and Anxiety
A teacher with anxiety and depression leaves teaching to become a mental health advocate.
Changing Your Own Story with Borderline Personality Disorder: For my friends with a highly stigmatized diagnosis
A young woman with borderline personality disorder writes her own narrative, her own way.
Giving Back: From Peer Group Participant to Certified Peer Support Specialist
Before the pandemic, Marilyn Janson depended on in-person peer support meetings where she could talk to others about her OCD, anxiety, and depression. Now, she leads the meetings herself as a Peer Support Specialist in online support groups.
Thyroid Cancer and Mental Health; a Med Student Survives
Cancer and mental illness collide in this essay from a medical student in Pakistan.
The Ambition of Recovery: Surviving Gun Violence, a Story of PTSD
This mental health recovery story focuses on Silas, who has survived gun violence. Through the pain of violence, Silas has found healing and continued growth. Read here to learn more!
Believe: My Struggle to (believe that I can) Change Negative Self-Talk
Our Executive Director, Gabe Nathan, explores negative self-talk on a recent trip to Baltimore.
Hunger Crawls Through Me: A Moment of Living with Familial Rejection and D.I.D.
Is it poetry? Is it prose? To try and categorize Elizabeth Devine’s story of dissociative identity disorder and how it impacts her relationship with her family might be futile. To write about something so disorienting might necessitate forms beyond the typical narrative essay.
Dreams Come True: How Escaping Isolation Relieves Depression Symptoms
Leif Gregersen found his response to his depression was to isolate himself away from the world, which in turn only made his depression grow. The fix he needed, it turned out, was not turning inward, but sharing his life with others.
A Tale of Two Faces: Discovering, Accepting, and Living with Mental Illness
Tiffany North is living with mental illness, and not letting her bipolar disorder define or derail her.
True til Death, or How Punk Rock Saved Me From Depression and PTSD
Surrounded by drug and alcohol abuse all of his childhood, Dennis Bagwell made the choice to commit to something larger than himself. In his words, it was “a rebellion within a rebellion.” He wasn’t just punk, he was Straight Edge.
The Black Kaleidoscope: How Educating Yourself on the Mechanisms of Depression Can Free You From It
It was depression that kept Michael Sylvester out of school for so long, only for him to find later in life that an education might help free him from his illness.
When Faith Hurts: Testimony of an EXvangelical on Religious Trauma
Cassandra Brandt documents her recovery from the religious trauma of her fundamentalist Christian upbringing.
Go to Your Room if You’re Gonna Cry – Breaking Generational Trauma
Laura Baumeister is breaking generational trauma and doing her best to raise the next healthier generation.
Denial, Deterioration, Despair: Recovering from Anorexia and Bulimia
Lydia Davies’s honest eating disorder recovery story exposes the death-grip of anorexia and bulimia and its impact on her mental health.
How Three Small Letters, ADD, Changed My Life
Nicci Attfield writes about the attention deficit disorder diagnosis that changed her life for the better.
Thigh Gaps, Epiphanies, and a Coming-of-Age: My Anorexia Story
Shannon Frost Greenstein writes about the epiphany that changed her life and helped her heal from anorexia.
Bipolar Schizoaffective Disorder: from National Rugby to Inpatient Hospitalization
Amelia Gordon was going to be a professional athlete until bipolar schizophrenia tried to take away her achievements and her agency.
My Experience with Mental Health in the Jewish Community
After the death of her sister, Linda Baron Katz was left to grieve not only her family, but the entire mental health system, which she believed in, and that ultimately failed her schizophrenic sister.
Reclaiming My Story: From Foster Child to Freedom
It took fifty years for Jamie Swann to realize that she had been a foster child. Her essay describes the impact of that discovery on her mental health.
Learning Boundaries: A Story of Childhood Trauma and Abuse
This mental health recovery story focuses on Jasmin’s childhood trauma and abuse. She eventually shared her story and began to heal.
Mental Illness Comic Uses Humor to Destigmatize Bipolar Disorder
John F. O’Donnell didn’t set out to be a “mental illness comic” but, as a stand-up comedian with bipolar, he’s making it work, and making them laugh.
I Have OCD; and I Can Never Forget That
For Tyler Mendelsohn, every day comes with the reminder that “I have OCD”, but every day is also unexplainable and magical.
I Now Sing the Songs Life Wants to Hear
This mental health recovery story focuses on Levi’s struggle with suicidality. As he learned to face this part of himself through the love of his family, he found a way to heal.
One More Step: A Professional Soccer Player Confronts His Mental Health Challenges
Elliot Kettle, a professional soccer player, writes about confronting his mental health challenges; emetophobia, agoraphobia, and anxiety.
Invisible Wounds: A Veteran’s Mental Health Journey
Former English soldier Dominic Barrett writes about depression, anxiety, and PTSD as a result of a high stress encounter while on duty, and also an unhealthy relationship.
Lifting The Weight Off My Shoulders: How My Personal Trainer Helped Treat My Mental Illness
This mental health recovery story focuses on Jennifer’s ongoing struggle with Bipolar disorder. As she learned to build structure in her life, her diagnosis too became more manageable. Read her story here!
It Was Cute Until It Wasn’t Anymore – My OCD, Anxiety, and Depression
Kayla Ackelson lives with OCD, anxiety, and depression and is discovering how to manage those challenges while living a multidimensional life.
Another Anxious-Depressing Thought: Am I Turning into My Mom?
Long-time nurse Donna Barnett confronts her anxious and depressed self and thoughts in this thought-provoking essay.
My Very Own Sunshine: Healing from Trauma with Horses
This mental health recovery story focuses on Morrene, who learned to heal her childhood trauma by riding horses. Through horseback riding, Morrene learned to manage her PTSD and heal.
Music is Sanctuary: Navigating Burnout in the Ivy League with the Power of Deep Listening
Shumaila Hemani once found joy and motivation through her musical studies, but when she began pursuing her Ph.D., all she found was mental burnout. Now she’s on a journey to reclaim her faith and love of music once again.
An Anxious, Depressed Illusion of the Mind
Depressed and anxious, Juliet Spanjaardt learned ways to cope with her debilitating stress and the “hanxiety” created by drugs and alcohol.
Waking Up Bipolar: Finding the Right Diagnosis to Begin Healing
by Listen to Executive Director Gabriel Nathan read this post aloud: Today, I am going to share with you my greatest memory, one I live with every day. As a child, I was one of those...
How Changing the Ending to My Mom’s Death Helped Me With the Trauma of It
Loving means losing, and writer Lauren Barrett writes about coping with grief after the death of her mother.
Ketamine Addiction & My Journey Out of the Hole of Depression
Daniel Gaughan tried to climb out of the hole of depression via an addiction to ketamine, and he almost lost himself.
Transforming Struggles into Strengths: Overcoming Anxiety and Finding Purpose
Erin Ullman is a therapist with anxiety and she’s helping others, both as a mental health clinician and as an advocate.
Dopamine, Disability & The Hedonic Treadmill
This mental health recovery story focuses on Cassandra who had a serious accident that left her paralyzed. The accident caused Cassandra to face her life and mental health in a new way. Read more to learn about her journey.
School OCD in Childhood: Portraits of Perfectionism at an Early Age
School OCD is particularly insidious, rewarding overachievement; Daniela Silva found that out the hard way.
Yikes! Company—And My OCD—Are Coming!
This mental health recovery story focuses on Theresa who has managed OCD symptoms since childhood. Read more to learn about her journey with mental health and healing, through OCD and healing.
The Price of Freedom: Living With Borderline Personality Disorder
This mental health recovery story focuses on Jaclyn who remained misdiagnosed and misunderstood for years. Read more to learn about her journey with mental health and healing, through trauma, addiction and BPD.
Uncovering Hope with Bipolar Disorder
Angela Wise, in her first published essay, writes about living with mental illness and finding hope with bipolar disorder.
Are You Game to Explore a Gamer’s Physical & Mental Health?
Gamer Mollie Evans writes about the unique challenges presented by Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and how it impacts her physical and mental health.
I Wouldn’t be Where I am Today (or Alive) if it Wasn’t for this one Thing I Did
Highly sensitive person Tree Franklyn writes about being born into the trauma of war and living with depression and deep sadness.
The Moment Everything Clicked: A Story of Unhealed Childhood Trauma
Makayla Hutchison experienced childhood trauma and abuse that has had long-term effects on her mental health.
Overcoming an Eating Disorder During the Pandemic Uncovers Deeper Wounds
Kaley Neal writes about her orthorexia eating disorder and exercise compulsion.
On The Ethics of Mental Health Clinicians With Their Own Diagnoses
Does battling with your own mental health diagnosis make you more or less qualified as a clinician? In this essay, Naomi Kunstler explores that question, and shares the price she paid to offer exemplary clinical service while also battling with depression and a history of self-harm.
Trauma and how the Depressed Brain Pushes us into Social Isolation
The post-college search for interpersonal connection left Eleni Stephanides wondering: “Maybe you’re not someone who was meant for relationships.” This, of course, was a falsehood put forth by her trauma and depression.
Activism and Intentional Living Helped Me Manage My Eco-Anxiety
Julia Tannenbaum advocates for a better, cleaner, lovelier world while managing her eco-anxiety that threatened to derail her activism.
What Five Weeks in a Psychiatric Ward Had to Teach Me
This mental health recovery story focuses on Leif and an experience of psychosis due to a medication change. His mental health shifted and a hospitalization occurred. Read more to learn about his journey with mental health and healing.
Depression, Anxiety and Chronic Mom Guilt: How I Learned my Bipolar Diagnosis
This mental health recovery story focuses on Nadia and her diagnosis process around bipolar. Her mental health plummeted after the birth of her daughter. Read more to learn about her journey with mental health and healing.
A Creative Mind, Body, and Voice Navigates Bipolar Disorder
Musician, dancer, and artist Casey Calhoun has long struggled with bipolar disorder, and she writes here about her unique recovery process.
How I Cope with the Challenges of Bipolar Disorder
This mental health recovery story focuses on Dancan, who lives with bipolar. He has been unable to receive medication due to the healthcare system within his country. Read more to learn about his journey with mental health and healing.
Breaking Like Glass: A Story of Complex Trauma and Healing
This mental health recovery story focuses on Kiersten, who lives with C-PTSD. Her journey has been one around managing her patterns of activation and learning mechanisms to help her cope with hypervigilance and trauma response. Read more to learn about her journey with mental health and healing.
A Double-Edged Sword: Facing the Grief of Miscarriage with Bipolar Disorder
Erika Nichols-Frazer writes about recovering from a miscarriage while living with bipolar disorder.
Cultivating Mental Health Self-Awareness with Generalized Anxiety Disorder Recovery
This mental health recovery story focuses on Yasmina, who lives with generalized anxiety disorder. Her journey has been one around managing her patterns of activation and learning mechanisms to help her cope. Read more to learn about her journey with mental health and healing.
Challenges in Dealing with and Recovering from Bipolar Disorder
This mental health recovery story focuses on Maria, who lives with bipolar disorder. Her journey has been one around managing her shifting moods and building coping mechanisms. Read more to learn about her journey with mental health and healing.
How Playing Competitive Tennis Helped Me Heal From Anxiety and Depression
Javier Ortega-Araiza, a former competitive youth tennis player with anxiety and depression, shares how tennis helped enhance his mental health.
How I Use The Joy of Soccer To Fight Depression
As a symptom of his depression, Isaac Nunoofio found it difficult to connect with peers for much of his life. It was Ghana’s World Cup run in 2010 that helped him find the joy and interconnection that a soccer fandom has to offer.
Be Informed, Not Afraid: Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Could Save Your Life
Despite the many decades that have passed since “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, many negative myths still persist about ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) for persistent, suicidal depression; Brian Marshall’s essay aims to bust those myths.
From OCD Parenting to OCD Practitioner: My Recovery From Orthorexia by Proxy
She thought she was being a diligent, careful mom, but it was really OCD and an eating disorder that needed treatment and understanding.
My Body and Me: How Depression, Anxiety, and Eating Influence Each Other
For many of her younger years, Amanda Wolf assumed her relationship with food was normal, since no one around her seemed to intervene. Now, she’s learning how to trust herself and take control of her eating habits.
Overcoming Mental Illness Meant Accepting I’m an Introvert
Amanda Nicholson grew up struggling to understand why it was so hard for her to socialize with her peers. In adulthood, she’s learned a new way to think about her introversion: social energy is a finite resource, not a wellspring.
Living and Recovering with Schizoaffective and Autism Disorders
Schizoaffective and autism can be challenging diagnoses to manage; for MJ Van Dyk, therapy has been an essential component to his recovery.
I Don’t Like My Butt! My Eating Disorder Recovery
Theresa waged war on the butt she didn’t like, and the eating disorder that ensued could have cost her life.
Individuating to Find Peace in my Relationship with My Parents
This mental health recovery story focuses on Aditi, who lives with bipolar disorder. Her journey has been one around finding ways to act for herself and not others. Read more to learn about her journey with mental health and healing.
The Importance of Drawing Boundaries, or, “I Leave at Nine”
This mental health recovery story focuses on Sheila, who lives with bipolar disorder. Her journey has been one around finding ways to advocate for her needs. Read more to learn about her journey with mental health and healing.
Unpacking Emotional Baggage and Helpful Coping Mechanisms
DEI professional Shaquiea Sykes gets tired carrying around all the emotional baggage of depression; in her essay, she talks about setting it down.
Depression for a “Good Indian Boy”? Impossible
Depression in India is still stigmatized, particularly for a “good Indian boy”, for whom little else is more important than academic and professional achievement.
Don’t Project Your Grief. Live it Intensely. How DBT’s Radical Acceptance Helps Me Through My Grief
To move forward in life after the loss of her mother, Daniela Silva had to radically accept the world as it was—a lesson she learned in dialectical behavioral therapy.
After Addiction and Binging; a Man Becomes Human Again
Addiction and binging were the two vices Robert Jackson battled, in order to save himself and preserve his relationship with his young child.
My Destiny is Recovery from Schizophrenia; And So Much More
Jahnavi Elango is coping with schizophrenia to the best of her ability, ensuring that she, not her disease, runs her life.
Integration; My Final Stage of Healing from Dissociative Identity Disorder
Shirley Davis is never alone; there are alters living within her, other beings and voices, the result of her dissociative identity disorder.
Alcoholism and Mental Health: The Tipping Point
Sonia Kahlon used alcohol to cope with her stresses and professional life, but she recognized how it sought to destroy her mental health.
Highs and Lows; Navigating Life with CPTSD
This is the story of Martha Githui, who was diagnosed in 2020 with complex PTSD (CPTSD), which is often the result of repeated, prolonged exposure to traumatic incidents/situations.
Managing Suicidality: How I Have Survived all my Hardest Days
This mental health recovery story focuses on Val, who has experienced suicidality and eventually was diagnosed with BPD and Bipolar. Read more to learn about her journey with psychosis and healing.
Crossing Borders to Confront my Bipolar Disorder
This mental health recovery story focuses on Jenny, who has experienced suicidality, when eventually hospitalized she was faced with a new diagnosis. Read more to learn about her journey with psychosis and healing.
Managing Autism & Solitude
Paul Jordan manages his autism and solitude in unique ways that may help others who are autistic, and/or those who care about them.
The Non-Linear Nature of Eating Disorder Recovery
Erin Jamieson became “good” at counting calories, throwing herself headlong into her eating disorder and then, thankfully, into her eating disorder recovery.
How Throwing Out the Script to My Sleep Routine Helped Cure My Insomnia
This mental health recovery story focuses on Lauren, who was overwhelmed by life and all its challenges fell into patterns of insomnia and anxiety. Read more to learn about her journey.
One of These Things is Not Like the Others: My Surprising OCD Diagnosis and How It’s Helped Me Heal
This mental health recovery story focuses on Jenny, who was overwhelmed by life and teaching the pandemic, began therapy and discovered she has been living with OCD. Read more to learn about her journey.
Bringing Both Feet in – Love & Mental Health
Kavita Sarmah lives with PTSD and believes that therapy and self-work was the key to help her be open to the prospect of love, marriage, and recovery.
Suicidal Ideation, “The Darkness”, and Men’s Mental Health
Jamie Loyer experienced suicidal ideation, was hospitalized and medicated and he is now a peer specialist, helping people like him recover.
What Yoga Taught Me about Depression
Laura Onstot was so overwhelmed and exhausted, she barely realized she was depressed; journaling and yoga helped clear vision.
Finding Self-Love When Surrounded By Abusive Voices
After a childhood in Nigeria where no one would take Precious Minaseidiema’s cries seriously, Precious took stock of all her sources of unhappiness, and did away with the ones she could.
Can Hard Work Can Beat Depression?
Starting mainstream schooling later in life, Jonathan Riley had trouble making friends, speaking publicly, and reading at grade level. All of this piled on with depression meant they had a lot of work ahead of them.
Anxiety, Depression, and Two Heavy Whiteboards
While studying astrophysics in Edinburgh, Violet Piper was besieged by depression, anxiety, and thoughts of harming herself.
Corporal Punishment as a Barrier to Intimacy, Letting go of Shame
Corporal punishment is falling out of fashion, thankfully, for Jacques Damhuis writes beautifully about its long-lasting, damaging impact.
Is There Life After Diagnosis: Finding Myself after Learning I Have Bipolar
This mental health recovery story focuses on Alexis’s journey with bipolar and how she learned to manage her mental health without making it who she is entirely.
Family Emergency Prompts OCD Coping Skills
This mental health recovery story focuses on Marilyn’s journey with OCD during a family emergency. Marilyn was able to establish coping mechanisms that helped her to heal, read more here!
A Golf Pro Recovers from Bipolar Disorder
Former pro golfer Don Walin writes openly about his bipolar disorder, including some of his manic episodes during his life and career.
Once Blessed; Still Strong: My Life with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
On Christmas, a young man with obsessive compulsive disorder reflects on his mental health, his life, and what is yet to come.
Who Will I be When I Wake up? A Bipolar Journey
Kelly Schermerhorn, who lives with bipolar disorder, doesn’t count sheep to get to sleep; she plays baseball with Jesus to help keep her brain rested and healthy.
The Plight of the One-Person Mental Health Support System
As the daughter of a victim of sexual abuse, Elizabeth Devine has had to endure her own trauma as well as take on the traumatic experiences of others; today she writes about her own challenges.
Holding on to Keep from Crashing
Living with anxiety and working as a housekeeper in a nursing home, Veronica L. Asay keeps herself together as best she can, pushing her cart, holding on for dear life.
Vivid Memories of My Recovery Journey with Anxiety and Schizoaffective Disorder (Part 2)
Living with schizoaffective disorder and anxiety, Leif Gregersen was hospitalized numerous times. Now he is a compassionate and vocal advocate for those in need of a voice.
Vivid Memories of My Recovery Journey with Anxiety and Schizoaffective Disorder (Part 1)
Living with schizoaffective disorder and anxiety, Leif Gregersen was hospitalized numerous times. Now he is a compassionate and vocal advocate for those in need of a voice.
Victory Over Suicidal Tendencies: Fostering the Human Connection
This mental health recovery story focuses on Amy’s journey with intergenerational trauma, suicidality and addiction. Amy eventually found support that helped her to heal, read more here!
How a 17-year-old Struggled with Thanatophobia and Learned to Accept and Recover
Lots of people are scared of death, but having thanatophobia—a clinical, often crippling fear of death—is quite different than what most people experience. Join Sibgha Akbar as she writes about recovering and accepting; all at the age of 17.
Following Childhood & Adult Suicide Attempts: A Vow to Get Better
Like so many people who try to take their own lives, Sandra Stevens came from trauma; wishing she had never been born. She took many steps to achieve the desire to stay in this world; this is her story.
How Modern Schizophrenia Treatment Steals Our Autonomy
Sarah Myers understands her schizophrenia. That is, she challenges it with logic, and develops healthy coping mechanisms to respond to her symptoms. In Sarah’s opinion, this is more than the medical industry can claim.
“What’s Wrong with You?” — the Question Trauma Asks
For his whole life, Jacques Damhuis was confronted with, “What’s wrong with you?” After decades of self-discovery, and some EMDR, he is learning that the answer is “nothing.”
What Reason Do I Have to be Depressed?
Eleni Stephanides was skeptical that going back on antidepressants would help, but she soon felt the clouds lift, and her vitality return.
Was I the Black Sheep? Discovering, Understanding and Healing my Trauma and CPTSD
This mental health recovery story focuses on Ana’s journey with Complex PTSD, and intergenerational trauma. Ana eventually cut ties with family to begin her healing journey. Read to learn more about how Ana learned to ask for help and recover from trauma.
What I Learned Socializing With The “Insane” in Psychiatric Units
As Max Guttman puts it, there is little to do in psych hospitals except pace the hallway and swallow pills. The most worthwhile way to spend his time, then, was hearing his neighbors’ stories.
Social Media – Recovering from the Drug Addiction of the Nation
Jason Schreurs would sit with his eyes bloodshot against the computer screen late into the night, forging connections on social media. Eventually, this obsession put him in the hospital.
Looking Down – The Mental Health Impact of Vision Loss
The mental health impact of sudden vision loss can be dramatic, as Christopher Dale explores in this essay.
Shiny Rocks; OCD is Always in My Pocket, Even all Grown Up
Megan Fisher wonders whether or not there is room in her life, and in people’s minds, for the child she was, with OCD, and the adult she is, with OCD.
Surviving Suicidality to Live in a Wonderful World
Javier Ortega-Araiza was feeling suicidal, and it wasn’t the first time that happened. His essay talks about his mental health recovery.
Back on Track: Recovering from Mental Illness and Addiction
After ten years of fighting a wrenching addiction to heroin, Stacey Anne Quin is winning herself back from the brink of mental illness and addiction.
Throw Pillows and Coffee Mugs: Accoutrements of Trauma, Abuse, and Recovery
Alan Caldwell has been collecting stories about his history of abuse and trauma and family for years, but only recently begun writing them down.
Losing Her Saved Me: How I Healed From Trauma
This mental health recovery story focuses on Amanda’s journey with OCD, Anorexia, Complex PTSD, trauma and grooming. Amanda had to cut off her mother in order to heal. Read to learn more about how Amanda learned to ask for help and recover from trauma.
Bipolar Disorder, Independence, and Living in the 21st Century as a 20th Century Woman
Lena Walton was always shushed by society—no talking about her undiagnosed bipolar disorder, nor about independence as a woman. Only now, following a breakdown, is Lena finally beginning to understand herself.
For this African American Man; there is Light, Even with Bipolar Schizophrenia
Men in the Black community are viewed as weak if they seek mental health treatment, but Derrick McQueen, a Black man with bipolar schizophrenia, didn’t let stigma stop him from getting help.
Excuse Me While I Obsess: Learning to Manage my Lifelong Struggle with OCD
This mental health recovery story focuses on Manndi’s journey with OCD. Manndi always struggled with symptoms but when she suffered from a miscarriage her OCD tendencies spiraled out of control. Read to learn more about how Manndi learned to ask for help and recover.
How I Learned I had Bipolar Disorder, or, “The Unpleasantness”
Sheila O’Shea triumphantly shouted, “I called it!” when she was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder II; a mental health diagnosis she always kind of knew she had.
Overcoming My Teenage Traumas Allowed Me to Find Freedom in My Twenties
Julia Tannenbaum’s adolescence was taken from her by a series of teenage traumas and mental health challenges; but she is only looking forward as she thrives in her twenties.
We’ll Leave The Gaslight on For You
This mental health recovery story focuses on Lindsey’s journey through abuse and childhood trauma, gaslighting, and hospitalizations, where Lindsey learned to trust her intuition and find practices around caring for herself. Read more in this mental health essay!
From Manic Insights to a Holistic Truth; Moving Towards Healing with Bipolar Disorder
Alexis Zinkerman writes about the intersectionality between bipolar disorder, spirituality, and creativity.
PTSD: The Unlikely Disease that Brought my Father and I Together
Carissa Chesanek’s father experienced undiagnosed PTSD from his experience in Vietnam. His daughter never went to war, but was diagnosed with the same illness.
Life Has Become Wonderful: My Life with Schizoaffective Disorder (PART 2 OF 2)
This mental health recovery story focuses on Leif’s journey through hospitals, homelessness, and diagnosis. Leif learned to advocate for himself and now finds ways to do so for others. Read more in this two-part essay!
Life Has Become Wonderful: My Life with Schizoaffective Disorder (PART 1 OF 2)
This mental health recovery story focuses on Leif’s journey through hospitals, homelessness, and diagnosis. Leif learned to advocate for himself and now finds ways to do so for others. Read more in this two-part essay!
Anxiety’s Magical Little Pill
Taking “a magic little pill” to help cope with her sometimes debilitating anxiety had serious limitations and, eventually, Maria realized she needed more help.
Lies Mania has Told Me
Bipolar mania told Erika Nichols-Frazer that sex was love, that Stephen Colbert and John Oliver would want to interview her, and that gibberish was genius; these are the lies mania told her.
Decades-long Relationship with Therapist Truly a Gift
Brian Marshall has seen the same therapist for decades, and his relationship with her has been a key element to his recovery from depression.
All The Colors Of Me Only Some Will See: Relearning to Love Your Body After a Trauma
Anne Marie Malloy had trouble loving who she saw in the mirror after facing childhood trauma, so she’s reclaimed control over self-identity with piercings, Doc Martens, and a rebellious attitude to match.
Learning to Prioritize Mental Health and Self-Care through a Traumatic Experience
This mental health recovery story focuses on Andrea’s journey after an incident of unwanted touch in a public place. Andrea felt anger, confused, uncertain how to go on. Through mental health care and re-prioritizing her needs, read how Andrea learned to heal from her trauma.
Long-Distance Running and Long-Running Depression: An Enduring Partnership
Eleni Stephanides has learned how to run with depression, instead of running from it.
A New Psychiatric RN Faces Her Career, and her own Mental Health
As someone who lives with panic disorder, OCD and anxiety, Caitlin Irish is uniquely positioned to help people as a psychiatric nurse, and uniquely challenged.
Walking through Life with Grief
Losing people is always hard; for Amanda Wolf, the grief and loss following the deaths of a close friend and her grandfather threatened to overcome her.
Magical Thinking as Trauma Response: How I Created Safety through Imagination
Faced with traumas before unimagined, Laura turned to the tool of magical thinking to create safety after ongoing experiences of trauma.
Anxiety & Trauma Poems
Faced with trauma and grief, writer Laura Farrell turned to poetry to process her experiences.
Done Running: a Budding Pharmacist Confronts Her Eating Disorder & Sexuality
Jules Aukerman, a budding pharmacist, confronts her sexuality and her eating disorder in this genuine, compassionate essay.
Misunderstood, Misdiagnosed, Misled: My Story of Illness and Addiction
Christina faced issues with addiction and the law, due to underlying mental issues, eventually with the proper help and diagnosis she learned to tackle these issues.
Knock, Knock. Who’s There? OCD.
Megan Fisher tried in vain to conceal her OCD behaviors from those closest to her, and therapy wasn’t the magic cure-all, until she found hope and help, compassion and change.
Mind Games: Depression & Anxiety Gripped My Father; COVID Nearly Took Him Away
Khadija grew up with two hard-working, loving parents, it was later in life that she experienced the impact of her father’s depression.
When Running From The Voices In Your Head Takes You Someplace New
Avis Yarbrough considers herself “shy” and “timid,” someone who stays at home. But when she first started hearing voices in her late twenties, she was catapulted on a trip she would have never taken otherwise.
Depression and Mental Illness: Disease or Condition?
A man wrestles with whether his depression and suicidality are diseases or conditions in this introspective and far-reaching essay.
Forgiving the Hurt: What Does it Mean to Forgive Our Abusers?
Alicia McClendon has been parsing out the word “forgiveness” for some time now. Can you forgive your own mother for causing you childhood trauma? And what does it mean to forgive while still holding on to your truth?
Melancholy & Cinnamon; A Journey through Mental Hell, and How Poetry Saved my Life
Gabrielle Guillon has come a long way from growing up with depression and abuse as her constant companions; poetry has helped her heal.
Deciding to Get Better: The Choice to Fight Schizoaffective Disorder
Cheyenne Ruiz spent much of her adolescence fighting panic attacks, working through depression, and pretending hallucinations weren’t happening. One hallucination pushed her to take recovery into her own hands.
A Goodbye Call in a Summer Afternoon: Noticing Suicide Warning Signs May Be the Difference Between Life and Death
When her uncle called trying to give a cryptic goodbye, Thaís Freita noticed suicide warning signs and saved a life.
Labeling Abuse in a Borderline Relationship
Two people with borderline personality disorder begin a romantic relationship that quickly becomes toxic, out-of-control, desperate, and dangerous.
Is This What Normal Feels Like? Finding the Right Treatment for Bipolar Disorder
Aneta Dabrowska felt the ups and downs of bipolar type II as a teenager, but no one around her knew how to react. When she entered adulthood, Aneta set on a journey to understand her illness on her own terms.
Sincerely, Madness: A Marine Confronts Rape and Self-Harm to find Strength and Hope
Being a Marine is supposed to put you through Hell and test your will, but not by subjecting you to rape by two different superior officers. Years later, Joyce Villeta is recovering and living through her trauma.
Sanguine: Attempting to Control Everything through Disordered Eating
Kate’s eating disorder started with a desire to control her body and quickly spiraled into something else, learning to reconnect to her body, Kate found her way to healing.
Postnatal Depression, Regular Old Depression, and How Mindfulness Saved Me
Shannon McBride has felt the fog of depression and anxiety nearly her whole life, until an accidental run-in with a pamphlet at the post-office changed her life.
Recovering from Depression; a Taboo Illness in Indian Society
Depression in India, for women in particular, is still a taboo topic, with women being blamed and shamed for what they experience, as Aakanksha Shukla writes.
Medication Adherence and my Schizoaffective Journey
Life with psychotic symptoms, hallucinations, delusions and paranoia is hard enough, but when coupled with suspicions of medication; it can be intolerable.
How I Overcame My Social Anxiety by Becoming a Journalist
Victor’s social anxiety felt debilitating and out of control, until he found and embraced journalism, a new tool for managing these difficult emotions.
During the Pandemic, a Retired Psychiatrist Finds a New Challenge; His Own Mental Health
Bereft of meaningful activities during the pandemic, a recently retired psychiatrist explores his mental health decline and the difference between acedia and depression.
Coloring Sadness: What We Lose, and Find, in a Psychiatric Hospital
Hospitalized for a major depressive episode, Katie Thomas looked into the eyes of broken people and saw herself.
Where’s Mamma? One Woman’s Struggle with Postpartum Depression
Robin lived the “perfect life” and was excited to welcome her new baby boy, quickly after his birth Robin noticed a shift in how she felt. As her postpartum worsened, Robin did not know what to do and eventually sought help.
After a Suicide Attempt: What a Difference a Dad Makes
After a suicide attempt, Chris Brown, a young man living in England, realized that having a father who could hear him and be with him in that moment, made all the difference.
To Hell and Back, a Man’s Struggle with Suicidal Ideation
While hospitalized under the mental health act, Dominic found himself feeling hopeless and desperate to end his mental pain, read his story to learn how he moved through the pain and found hope again!
Falsehoods, Delusions, and Lies: My Life with Schizoaffective Disorder and Anxiety
Living with schizoaffective disorder and anxiety, Leif Gregersen was hospitalized numerous times. Now he is a compassionate and vocal advocate for those in need of a voice.
Why I Ignored a Bipolar Diagnosis in my 20s… and What I Learned in my 30s
Chris Russell, an actor living with bipolar disorder, writes about medication, realizations, acceptance, and managing his mental health.
Good Thoughts for a Better Mind: How Psychoanalysis Transformed My Life
Years of traditional therapy didn’t do much to quell Daniela Silva’s existential dread and fear of smiling. It took a dose Freud to spur her journey forward.
I Felt Safer in a Psychiatric Hospital During the Pandemic
The national fatigue and anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic felt all too familiar to Jennifer, who is diagnosed with bipolar and has experienced mania.
With Depression, Anxiety, and Lyme Disease; My Dream is Survival
Max Noir lives with anxiety, depression, and chronic lyme disease, but she has not let these conditions diminish her capabilities, limit her travel, or her love of life.
Anxiety: Irrational, Illogical, Catastrophic and, Eventually; Manageable
After silently living with anxiety and panic attacks, therapy and medication helped Nicci Attfield, from South Africa, find her voice.
The Gentler Lessons of a Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis
Shortly after her first hospitalization and diagnosis of bipolar, Jocelyn fell into a deep depression. While in the hospital, Jocelyn was guided by the beauty of an orchid, sitting on her window sill. Jocelyn found ways to find beauty day to day to help cope with depression and diagnosis, along with therapy and medication. Read more about her story!
A Kenyan Man’s Journey with Schizophrenia: Therapy and Medication Work Wonders
When Kenyan university student Noah Kirui was in college, he started developing hallucinations and delusions and was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Wired Differently: How Brain Surgery Quelled My OCD
After experiencing mountains of trauma at the hands of her therapist, Harper Hanson found that treating her OCD might actually be better solved in the operating room.
Coming to Terms with Autism, Bipolar 1, and OCD as a Young College Student
Thomas Duliban loves to share with people; but what’s acceptable to share of his autism, his OCD, his bipolar diagnoses?
A Gentle Hand Reaches Out to Those Considering Suicide
Bharti Bansal reaches out a gentle, compassionate hand from India to a friend she has never met, another human being considering suicide, just like she did.
OCD: Not “Just Another Quirk for Caitlin”
Caitlin Irish thought obsessive compulsive disorder was “just another quirk” but it was a life-changing diagnosis that led to a bright road to recovery.
Afraid of Being Seen: Recovering from Trauma & Learning to Show up Authentically
Lisa Greene’s trauma recovery journey is hopeful, inspiring, and beautifully crafted, like the intentional life she leads.
ECT and Me
Evelyn Sachs won’t stand for electroconvulsive therapy being just another cheap “Cuckoo’s Nest” reference; it has helped with her bipolar depression.
When Disabled Womanhood Means Shrinking: How Diet Culture Affects the Bodies and Minds of Disabled Women
In middle school, Erica began to notice her weight and developed disordered thinking about her body in an attempt to control it. Through recovery, Erica learned that her need to control her body was in part to make her disability less noticeable to others.
This is Recovery: The Recurrent and Everlasting Journey Through Depression
Josh Forner has been in recovery from depression his entire life, and likely will continue to be. The process is not a straight line, but rather one that curves up and down, and sometimes circles back on itself.
If He Gets It: Teaching My Son How to Handle Depression
Christopher Dale once received mentorship on how to deal with depression from a man who knew the disease well. Now he’s learning to do the same for his son.
The Biggest Storm of My Life: My Precarious Journey with Anxiety and Depression
by Listen to Editor in Chief Gabriel Nathan read this story: I’ve often struggled to stay afloat on the choppy seas of life. Small waves have peaked behind my back, and in a flash,...
A Fractured Journey: Feeling the Throes of Bipolar Disorder Before Diagnosis
Jason Schreurs zig-zags through different moments in his life, finding both clarity and confusion throughout. It all coalesces with one surprise diagnosis.
Kiss My Scars: Learning to Love the Whole Self, Trauma Included
by Listen to Editor in Chief Gabriel Nathan read this story: When I walk into a room, my presence, stature, and big ass afro commands attention! It wasn’t always that way—I didn’t...
Connected Through Trauma: A Police Officer’s Story of PTSD, Suicidality, and Hope
As a police officer, trauma, PTSD, and thoughts of suicide threatened to end Constable James Jefferson’s career, and his life, but he wouldn’t allow it.
How Severus Snape Saved My Life
Severus Snape saved my life; a life lived with seemingly endless pain and despair due to anxiety and depression, writes Giovanna Errore from Italy.
Implicit Messages in Mental Health Peer Specialist Work
A mental health peer specialist takes us inside to show us what it is like to work with clinicians to help individuals with mental illness recover and thrive.
Even With Depression; I Want a Greedy Life
Living with depression denies you of a lot of things, but Victoria Martinez isn’t about to let her depression take the wheel; she’s in charge.
He Did the Laundry: A Sister Becomes a Suicide Loss Survivor
Lisa’s journey into the world of sibling suicide loss is painful and, ultimately, hopeful and inspiring.
How I Use the Singing of Hymns and Gospel Songs to Fight Depression
Isaac Nunoofio felt treating his depression was a hopeless cause, and then he found singing.
My Story of PTSD: Fighting the World Against All Odds
Through a difficult childhood, Kate developed PTSD, slowly as Kate began to understand the effects of her father’s absence and mother’s discipline on her mental health she began to heal.
Strike Three, an Undeniable Success: Finding Confidence Through Bipolar Depression
Leigh Abraham spent much of his life thinking his failures belonged to him, but not his accomplishments. Then he found baseball.
Heart Caretaking: A Mother and Scholar Turns a Corner on Panic and Anxiety
When panic and anxiety come for the accademic, how does she cope? Sarah Barnette shares her recovery story.
My Bipolar, BPD, OCD, Panic Disorder, Agoraphobic Life’s Journey; Thus Far
As a child, Brianna attempted to find ways to control the emotions and experiences that she did not feel in control of, how Brianna’s diagnosis and treatment helped her to understand her moods.
Anxiety and Depression; My Two “Best Friends”
Teenager Alex Andrews was well-acquainted with her school’s bathroom floor, where she wrestled with sometimes crippling anxiety and depression.
Winning My Ongoing Battle with Depression and Alcohol Abuse
During childhood, Joao had trouble finding friends he could trust, how Joao moved through experiences of bullying and self-doubt.
Why I Tell My University Students I’m Depressed
Peter Leman, a university professor with depression, discloses to his students to help bust the stigma of mental illness on college campuses.
Watching Mental Illness from the Sideline: A Brother’s Story
Dave Brennan reflects on the difficulties of living with someone with a bipolar diagnosis, as well as how we may look past these difficulties and see the rest of that person.
My Unusual OCD Symptom Could Have Got Me Fired, Or Worse
At times, Martha Ocasio’s symptoms from her OCD and anxiety disorder made herself and others feel uncomfortable.
The Depression That Would Not Go: How Do We Fight Depression When Medicine Doesn’t Do the Trick?
Anuradha Malhotra has keeps finding ways to quell her depressive symptoms, but her cures always seem to run out of gas. Now she’s finding other ways of moving forward.
Finding the Way Out of Trauma and Substance Abuse
James Howard’s younger life was dominated by trauma and substance abuse, but today he lives stronger with faith and music as his guides.
Re-parenting My Inner Child: My Journey of Healing from Childhood Neglect
In childhood, Amanda the constant fear of neglect and need, how Amanda moved through her upbringing and re-parented herself.
Dusk to Darkness; Navigating and Emerging from a World of Self-Harm
Australian Zoe Judd writes with vivid brilliance about her recovery from self-harm behaviors.
44th in the Queue: What Texting the Suicide Lifeline Taught Me about Life, Mental Health, and Toxic Masculinity
When bipolar actor Chris Russell was experiencing suicidal ideation, he called the Lifeline; this is what he learned.
Are We Destined to Repeat the Family Cycle?
Growing up, Natalie struggled with her father’s alcoholism and manipulation, how Natalie worked through her relationship through therapy and writing.
How do you Recover from OCD and an Addiction to Self-Hatred?
Overcoming an addiction to self-hatred has been a life’s work for Harris Pike, in addition to managing anxiety, depression, ocd, and psychosis.
Anxiety and Me (and Maybe You, Too)
Kaci Curtis’s anxiety and panic manifested in obsessive worries and fears. Find out about how this young mother battles her brain every day.
The Night I (almost) Escaped Rehab
Canadian singer-songwriter Skylar Bouchard has long struggled with addiction and self-harm, and his essay is a hopeful ballad to recovery.
Colours Went Flat: Losing My Brother to Suicide
Suicide loss is different than any other kind of loss, which Indian writer Raashi Thakran beautifully describes in her essay about her brother.
Dear Mom, I Want to Kill Myself
Dear Mom, I Want to Kill Myself is a heartbreaking and, ultimately, hopeful essay about overcoming suicidal thoughts and helping family members heal and grow.
My Struggle with Anxiety and Depression Has Been My Greatest Gift
Arielle Kremnev experienced an increase anxiety and depression after the birth of her second child.
Overcoming my Barriers to Borderline Personality Disorder Recovery
The voice of her borderline personality disorder told her not to get into recovery. She worried that no one would love her when she got better.
Intrusive Thoughts & A Failing of Words
Katie Thomas is a caring mother, sister, and wife, but often battles intrusive thoughts of doing horrible things to the ones she loves.
I Want to Live, but I Couldn’t Always Say That
After several suicide attempts, Sarah Sharp now writes and lives with a passionate desire to stay alive.
Before and During COVID-19; My Depression Kept Me Moving and Still
The COVID-19 era has shifted and changed Wendy Hahn’s depression, her relationship with her husband, children, and self.
From Full Ride Scholar to Convicted Felon; A Suicide Attempt Changes Everything
Brittany Lopes’s suicide attempt was intended only to harm herself, but it didn’t turn out that way. Read about her journey of healing, redemption, forgiveness, and recovery.
A Flight Attendant with OCD Grounds Herself During COVID-19
Under normal circumstances, being a flight attendant with anxiety and OCD is challenging; with COVID-19, it was next to impossible.
You Have an Illness (Anxiety); Just Not the One You Think You Have
Ben Knight’s anxiety raged to the point where he obsessed over a physical ailment that he never had. Read about his whirlwind journey back to reality.
Not All a Child Needs: Overcoming Suicidality and Depression in Pakistan
Hira Raza shares how culture and parental pressure can impact a child’s mental health, leading to an eating disorder and depression in Pakistan.
Six Days on the Good Unit: Hospitalized and Alive
Casey Cannizzaro is a brilliant writer who lives in a world of addiction and bipolar disorder, both of which he fights every single day, with every breath.
That’s The Tea on OCD: Learning to Live with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Hannah Rose Preikschat shares what it’s like living with obsessive compulsive disorder, and more specifically, life with Pure O, or harm OCD.
Rosy is the New Bleak; How a Psychotic Break Saved My Life
A sudden move across oceans coupled with a psychotic break isn’t usually what saves a person’s life but, for Josie El Biry, it’s just what she needed.
A Boy In Progress: Surviving My Eating Disorder
Eli Parker spent his adolescence hiding his trans-identity from his friends and family, and took control of his life where he could, his diet.
Don’t Mistake a Few Bad Days For a Bad Life with Anxiety
Carol Blake writes her anxieties, joys, depressive thoughts, and words of gratefulness on physical paper to see her thoughts with objective eyes.
Bulimia: Look into Her Greedy Eyes and Destroy Her!
Sonia’s intrusive thoughts about her body controlled her behavior; how Sonia regained control of her life through identifying her disorder and finding help.
Letting Myself Go: An Artist’s Struggle with Depression, Addiction, and Suicidality
For the artist named Mederos, physical and psychological pain of depression is inextricably intertwined.
Knowing Your Limits: Where Anxiety and Eating Intersect
Eating and anxiety share the same spot in Rachel Nelson’s brain. After a life filled with crash diets and, Rachel’s recovering.
Gaslighting is Not Just a Movie: Recovering from the Effects of PTSD, Depression and Anxiety
After leaving an abusive relationship, Felicia Darlington’s anxiety and hopelessness felt out of control. Her strong essay details how she found support and learned to be comfortable in motherhood.
How Does a Doctor with OCD Navigate Life, Career, and the Everyday?
For Rachel Davis, a doctor with OCD, every moment of every day is about managing her symptoms so she can function, live, and thrive.
How Becoming a Parent Forced Me to Deal with my Anxiety
Feeling anxious and depressed after the birth of her son, Katharine joined a support group and found help to understand what was going on in her body and her mind. Katharine found ways to understand her anxiety and become the parent she longed to be.
Suppress it, Survive it – How Unresolved Grief can Lead to Depression
Ananya Sahoo, a young woman from India, tried to suppress depression and place the intense grief from losses in a box; but theses boxes always open.
Where Do Compulsive Exercise and Disordered Eating Lead?
When you are battling an eating disorder, decisions like stand or sit, one cookie or two, are not just benign choices. Emily Kelsall takes us into the world and brain of a woman living struggling with disordered eating and compulsive exercise.
And Then I Got Cancer: My Recovery from Depression Became a Battle for My Life
AnnMarie Otis is a fighter; doing battle with cancer and depression every day of her life, and every moment of every day. Join her fight and cheer her on.
Epiphany: Radical Rainbow: A Middle-Aged Woman of Color Lives with Mental Illness in America
Trying to navigate the world as a black older woman diagnosed with schizophrenia has more than its fair share of roadblocks. Jacquese Armstrong sees that world differently than most.
How the Correct Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder Saved My Life
After two negative experiences with less-than-optimal therapists, Taylor Oxley chose to battle her mental illness alone. As a last resort, she decided to visit one more.
How Do You Change the Negative Self-Talk Conversation?
Author and advocate Beck Medina works daily to improve her mental health by cultivating self-compassion. Her essay is a mature take on what it means to be young and plugged-in in 2019 and the cost to your self-image, and how to maintain stability while living with panic attacks and anxiety.
Fighting My Eating Disorder Like a Warrior; Brave and Also Very Scared
Rachel Sellers does battle with anorexia, one of the most deadly mental health challenges, like a warrior: brave and also very scared.
How do You Live Through Anxiety, Depression, and a Friend’s Death?
Leah Holleran’s mystery illness was as common as common could be: anxiety and depression, but she and her family didn’t know it. Leah eventually solved the mystery of her mental health challenge, but not before struggling with self-harm and the loss of her best friend to an overdose.
An Outsider in My Own Skin; a Transgender Mental Health Story
by Have you ever felt like an outsider in your own skin? As if the body you’re stuck with isn’t really something you own, but something you’ve picked up for the time being; like the shell of a hermit crab. Have you ever...
Wrestling with Depression
In addition to wrestling some of the most noted sumo wrestlers in the world, Mike Wietecha is also well-versed in wrestling depression.
Manic MFA: How My Degree Almost Cost Me My Sanity
Trying to manage bipolar disorder and a MFA program, she was influenced by mania, anxiety dictated the pace of her life, and her marriage was in danger.
Uncovering Incredible: My Journey through Lifelong Anxiety
I believed that my slightest misstep from perfection would result in the immediate and irrevocable loss of love and respect from every single person around me.
Taking Up Space; Living in and Loving My Changing Body
Dancer Morgan Rondinelli wrestles with her weight gain and its impact on her mental health challenges.
Eight Miles Of Agony: Anxiety and Travel
I don’t know if I will ever be free of the panic attacks but I have hope that I will know how to cope. As of right now, I am taking things one day at a time, living my life and sharing my story so that others know that they are not alone.
What Comes After a Brother’s Death? PTSD, Depression, Anxiety; and Hope
After her young brother’s death, Lauren Fraser takes us on her journey of recovery from mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, and ptsd in this moving personal essay.
When Control Disappears and Anxiety Stays
Instead of fighting against anxiety, I’ve learned to accept it and embrace it. Anxiety is only a small part of me, it doesn’t define me.
My Fight Against Rape and PTSD in College
I fight for myself and those recovery from rape and PTSD. I still struggle, but I am not a victim. I am a survivor. I am not defined by what happened to me.
Life On the Borderline: Learning to Live with BPD
Receiving a diagnosis for borderline personality disorder later in life was difficult for Lisa Parker. When she finally heard the phrase “bpd,” she was able to start learning skills in her 50s she wished she’d learned in her 20s.
Hereditary Depression, Unplugged: My Uncle understood my mental illness because he shared it. Then he died.
When Christopher Dale lost his Uncle Steve, he felt he’d lost a guiding compass for navigating his hereditary depression. Now he’s trying to carry on Uncle Steve’s lessons himself.
I Want to Live: Turning a Corner with Suicidal Ideation and Depression
This mental health recovery story focuses on Tina’s journey through a fixation on death, depression and suicidal ideation. Tina’s thoughts and actions felt out of control, guide by anxiety. Suicidal ideation was a constant in her life, how Tina sought help and learned that are her core, she wanted to live. Through therapy and a close encounter with death, Tina discovered her will to live. Read more about Tina’s journey!
I’m Being Listened To: A New Page in a Story of Anxiety and Depression
Bryan Long writes about his struggle with anxiety and depression from the perspective of a young man opening up to a provider for the very first time.
The Good, The Bad, and the Obsessive Compulsive: How We Stereotype Those with Mental Illness
If all you knew about mental illness came from television, you might think everyone with obsessive compulsive disorder was a “crazy clean freak.” Alexandra Ages begs to differ—a person with a mental illness is much more than a television archetype.
Blessed by Dog: How My Emotional Therapy Animal Helps Me Cope with Bipolar
Trying to deal with a bipolar diagnosis, alcohol-abuse, self-harm, and hallucinations is a lot to take on. When Jessica Drake-Thomas met her emotional therapy animal, Mia, the road to recovery became much more clear.
I Suppressed Everything – A Story of Abuse and Bipolar
This mental recovery story focuses on Lisa’s journey of childhood trauma, abuse and eventually her diagnosis of bipolar. After years of physical, sexual and mental abuse, Lisa thought she had found stability, until her mania set in followed by severe depression. Lisa’s life felt like it was spinning out. Her physical, sexual and mental abuse dictated her life, her mania felt out of control, how Lisa came to terms with her diagnosis of bipolar and past trauma and found a way to heal. With time and therapy Lisa found ways to cope. Read more about Lisa’s journey!
Emptying My Head: Bipolar Depression, A Tale of Two People
This mental health recovery story focuses on Erica’s journey through an abusive childhood, a diagnosis of bipolar depression and the feeling of being misunderstood, by other and by herself. Her bipolar depression and anger left Erica confused, when she found therapy she was able to see what was beneath her rage and come through to the other side. Erica realized that her anger masked a deep sadness, as she worked with a counselor she found a way to explore her past and understand her present. Learn more about Erica’s journey!
The Kid’s Alright, or Close Enough; My Asperger’s Diagnosis
Rachael grew up with a feeling that she was different from others. She experienced anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms and had regular meltdowns. Eventually these things turned into a problem with substance abuse. Her inability to adapt to change and childhood anxiety created a barrier, how Rachael’s diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome in adulthood helped her to understand her past and gain a newfound stability. Once, Rachael could understand what was going in her mind, she was able to take back control of her life. Read more about Rachael’s story!
Battling Depression: Fighting the Legion of Gloom
If you think only a super-human force can successfully battle depression, then you don’t know Shawn Reynolds, comic book aficianado and mental health superhero in his own right.
When Anxiety and Panic Attacks Hit; Hit Back with Therapy
Natalie Rodriguez knew she needed therapy for her anxiety and panic attacks; but she had to fight against shame and stigma to get that help.
When You’re Depressed and Doctors Aren’t Great, What Do You Do?
JoEllen Notte, a sex educator who focuses on mental health, delves into her experiences as a woman who is depressed navigating a health system that often does not know how to respond.
How Can Trauma, Depression, and Panic Help you Hold On and Let Go?
Jenna Kohler’s life has been impacted by her boyfriend’s suicide, the Boston Marathon bombing, and other events that have shaped her exposure to depression and trauma.
You’re Not Bored; You’re an Addict.
A woman who lives with alcoholism describes the normalization of alcohol in Western culture and speaks openly and bravely about her alcoholism recovery.
How Do You Recover from Mental Illness and Hurricane Harvey?
Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc on Houston, and on Sue Ann Perna, who writes with bravery about how this hurricane impacted her mental illness and changed her life.
Combating OCD with Narrative Poetry
An OCD story from a young woman who writes about how narrative poetry is helping redirect her obsessive compulsive brain in a beautiful, inspiring way.
Dancing Away Depression
it has been a very long time since I have been out dancing. I am much too depressed and the pain is overwhelming; however, there came a meeting of my many minds and the solution was couch dancing. LOL, you say? I would be willing to bet you have never tried it!
The Narrow Ledge of Half-Health; My Life with Schizophrenia
“You need to accept the fact that schizophrenia is a chronic condition. You will have it for the rest of your life, so you need to start focusing on managing your symptoms.” When I heard it put so plainly, I sighed in despair.
No Worries! And Other Lies I Tell My Anxious Self
My panic attacks are still not discriminatory nor are they accommodating. For years, they came and went as they pleased. In bedrooms, in showers, on vacations, and in cars.
A Story of Multiple Mental Illness Diagnoses in a Marriage
We have a strong marriage but with our multiple diagnoses there are challenges that most would not understand—like going to the grocery store or out to eat.
A Mom with PTSD: Getting Closer to Realizing My Dreams
I was trying to manage my PTSD (unsuccessfully), which was magnified by my newly received diagnoses of bipolar with treatment resistant depression and borderline traits.
Horror, Oppression, Perfectionism, Epiphanies; My Story of Comorbid Resilience
I am what clinicians may refer to as “comorbid,” meaning I experience simultaneous disorders at once. With my history of diagnoses of major depressive, post-traumatic stress, panic, generalized anxiety, illness anxiety, body dysmorphic, and social anxiety disorders, I have had an overwhelming journey.
Hope amidst the Hopelessness of Depression
I had always been a sullen, solitary girl, sensitive and moody, prone to uncontrollable emotional outbursts. But the sadness I felt that winter was deeper, the outbursts more frequent, intense, and all-consuming.
The (im) possibilities of love with bipolar
I should have asked for her hand in marriage, but she would have just given me the finger. I live with bipolar disorder. Once, I loved with it too.
The Mental Health of an Addict’s Mother
It is impossible to ignore the impact that a child’s addiction and mental health has on a parent. Because of this I started therapy myself, and I believe that it saved my life.
My Whirlwind Brain; Living with Bipolar Disorder, Depression, and Anxiety
I’m a thirty-seven-year-old woman who was diagnosed with bipolar, depression and anxiety at the age of twenty-two. As I look back on my life I can remember feeling anxious throughout my childhood. I grew up in a good home with loving parents, but my anxiety persisted.
The Power of an Emotional Support Animal in Mental Health Recovery
Bowser and I had met when I began a rather impulsive search for someone, or something, to help alleviate my mental and emotional turmoil.
Reasons Why I Should Die – Coming Back from Teenage Suicidal Ideation
I’m writing now as a happy and fulfilled young adult. But ten years ago, I thought my life was worth ending.
When Thoughts are Sticky; Pure OCD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Though I am in recovery from generalized anxiety disorder, (GAD) that doesn’t mean I am cured, I have periods of remission and mini flare-ups.
Five Years of Sobriety: Smiling and Waving and Looking so Fine
I stopped drinking the next day. There was no plan. It was just, “I’m not drinking today, and probably not tomorrow.” Five years.
The Madness Line – Navigating Between the Audience and Stage
You’re more powerful than you know. And, once you learn how to wield your powers, trust me. They’ll applaud.
Seeking Sanity Step by Step
My illness devastated me at age twenty when I was committed to a psychiatric hospital for sixty days and eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Psychosis: A Beginning. An End.
My impaired judgement was obvious even in the early days of my illness. I exhibited so many of the symptoms associated with psychosis—a substantial drop in my grades, trouble concentrating, declining hygiene, a significant weight loss, oscillating from strong emotions to a feeling of emptiness to name a few.
Is Mental Illness Your Rabbit, Too? Living with Anxiety and Depression
Not hallucinations, but rather some of the smaller and fuzzier denizens native to Cambridge, Massachusetts. There is no metaphor more fitting for the person I was back then: twitchy, easily startled, a propensity to run scared from others. I had lost all the avenues I’d had to hide from depression and anxiety, and they closed in like a pair of gangsters in an alleyway.
A Suicide Attempt Spurs a New Life of Advocacy
One night, my mental state deteriorated to the point where I tried to end my life through a suicde attempt. It was impulsive and rash.
My Five Stages of Depression
The Five Stages of Mourning is a perfect template for my own Five Stages of Depression: Anger, Anxiety/Exhaustion, Depression, Treatment, and Recovery.
Now What?: Suicidality and Planning for an Uncertain Present
When I exhibited symptoms of C-PTSD and OCD, I was afraid and lost. I survived multiple major depressive episodes, all of them including suicidality.