Something I am Proud of in My Journey:
I am most proud of my resilience in my mental health journey. After a few hospitalizations, 4 years of highs and lows, 6 psychiatrists, 3 psychologists, 15-20 medication changes, 12 hours of evaluations, 10 diagnoses I am STILL here fighting every day. I was hospitalized due to psychosis when I was 21, when I got out I was very resistant to medication and therapy. I felt like I had been thrown in the deep end with no life jacket. Then I got my first bipolar diagnosis and I felt somewhat relieved, I felt like finally I had an answer to why my brain was different from my peers. I immediately started researching and learning so much about bipolar disorder amongst other diagnoses I had received.
It was a long battle from there, about a year later I was hospitalized again. That inpatient experience really opened my eyes to the fact that I will most likely need medication for the remainder of my life. It was a hard realization but I have learned to be so grateful for my medication and accepted it’s not a bad thing to need it. Every time I hesitate to take my medication I think about all the people before me who didn’t have the medication options we have today. I am proud of myself for sharing my story, since I got diagnosed I have been as vocal as I can about the importance of talking about mental illness even when it’s not positive. I will continue to share my story for the rest of my life in hopes someone feels seen or understood by what I’m sharing.
Message for Newly Diagnosed:
There’s nothing to “fix” because you aren’t broken. You’re the same person you were before your diagnosis the only difference is you now have better insight into how you can better yourself and your relationships with your loved ones. There are so many mixed emotions that come with a new diagnosis, personally I felt lonely and afraid of the unknown. I found myself reading other people’s stories and it felt so good to know I wasn’t alone in these feelings and thoughts I was having. There are so many people who experience similar struggles with their mental health who also feel alone. The truth is we all have each other.
Stay true to who you are and take care of yourself!
