I'm currently in the process of writing out everything about me....my childhood, my thoughts, and what's going on now.......

I'm tired of everyone with mental illness being unfairly judged solely on the nature of their particular illness(es).....i don't believe i'll make a big difference in this, but if just one mentally ill person can be treated like those who are emotionally healthy....then i can rest.....


Has anyone ever thought about or actually done something to help reveal the nature of a disease they are coping with?

I deal with mentally retarded people everyday.


They do not make life easier on me.

What you are doing sounds great

Writing stories helps me get out of reality...I had a mental illness when I was a teen and that's when I began writing .

I am getting my masters in psychology and possibly a Psy. D. I work at a day treatment center now. Stereotypes are everywhere when it comes to mental illness and are certaintly not deserved. The people I work with are amazing and should be treated like everyone else!

I had a total breakdown when I was 23 and 2 mo pregnant with my 4th child..I have told many people about my experience with that and I used to counsel high school kids that were suffering from depression. Sometimes all they needed to know was that someone else had been there, done that and they are not the only ones going thru that..My way of giving back to those that helped me..

i have never experienced a brake down but have been depressed, even being on kidney dialysis doesnt help it much either.

I did it before, really quite pathetic on my part considering my life starts at the age of 14...

When I went through Ovarian Cancer I wanted to put my life on paper for my children. I think I filled about 20 journels through that time. I now still write in my journal daily not only is it therapeutic it also helps me keep on track of my goals and life..

So I say all by all means do it and have fun with it.

that's the exact intolerance i'm talking about right there.....noone has an easy life....and also jumping to conclusions....like this member assuming mentally ill is the same as developmentally challenging (or mental retardation)

i support what you do... this is a big issue and some people can be abusers and tell someone they are when they are really sane and nowadays teenagers call themselfs emos and think that cutting is a fashion statement. mental illness does not make you dumb, all people do got some degree of mental illness ... we all need to gain understanding and compasion and telling your story may help someone who is going through a confusing time in their life...

you go with it!!!!

I think helping others is the best thing anyone can do!! Cheers to all those that are helping others!

I think it's a fantastic idea.
I'm a former CADC (Drug and Alcohol Counselor) as well as recovering addict/alkie for over 20 years, so I know about stereotypes and other people's ignorance and misconceptions.
A lot of friends tell me I should write a book, but I always tell them no one would believe it!
You're idea sounds like something really worth pursuing. Many people consider even the term "mental illness" to mean you're a raving lunatic or a knuckle dragging moron and associate it with being completely unable to function or walking down the street having conversations with yourself.
There are so many people out there, right now, suffering from depression, bi-polar, whatever, and they think of "mental illness" as something someone else has. Mental illness can be very subtle and go for years misdiagnosed or undetected, depression being probably the most overlooked unless it's severe.
Great idea. Keep it up and help banish the stigma so many people carry around.

Good for you! It's amazing the intolerance people have for mental illnesses. I developed agorophobia when I was 25, and was pretty much housebound for several years. I still deal with ocassional panic attacks, but it's more annoying than anything. Three out of my four of my siblings have battled or are still battling it. Along with the agorophobia, I developed severe depression, which was so hard, as I've always been a very social, happy person. I don't really expect people who haven't personally suffered from a mental illness to understand them, as I wouldn't have either, but there needs to be more tolerance for people who have the misfortune of being plagued with a "mental illness". I had cancer about 20 years ago, and no one was telling me THAT was all in my head, and I just needed to "get out and do this or that", blah blah blah. Anyway, good luck, and you're right, if it helps one person, that's better than nothing, right?