Something I Am Proud Of:

I’ve always been honest to my son about my illness, from when he was little boy. I believe this has been the right thing to do, as many times he has witnessed his mom being in bed, or being extra exhausted due to mental illness. By educating him early about mental illness it will help him both understand it and learn that it’s ok to talk about it.

Advice For Newly Diagnosed:

As soon as you get your diagnosis start working on acceptance. I struggled with that for years and it made my depression so much worse to handle. You are not your disease but you will need to accept that it will have a place in your life. This was crucial for me to realize. If possible be as open as you can about it. Many people are scared and avoid talking about mental illness simply because they know very little about it.