What is your story with mental illness?

I self medicated to deal with my mental illness for years. I believe it made it worse and I never grew as an individual spirituality and mentally. Now that I've been sober for 2 years and on the proper medication I feel much better equipped to deal with it. 

Hello @Slakpa07‍ and @JamieShaw‍ , thank you for opening and participating in this discussion! Let me tag some other members who may not have seen it yet. 

Hi everyone, how are you doing? 
What do you think about Slakpa07's comment? Have you had a hard time talking about or accepting your mental illness? Has it made it hard for you to get help? What helped you find the strength to ask for help?
@hc_1357‍ @jodibeth‍ @Glenna‍ @chessamay1‍ @TinaTom‍ @Mstiere86‍ @Nicolehulsey5‍ @joybeth‍ @Gizell596‍ @Eugenius117‍ @Deniseh62316‍ @Cathi857‍ @kericson‍ @Boofie‍ @Tam1976‍ @Kimmyk62‍ @gothskullz‍ @Jmoral622‍ @Unuseful‍ 

Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences here!

Take care,
Courtney

My story with my mental health is I have struggled with mental health since I was 8 years old at least. And I had asked my family for help and they didn't help me with it and told me that I didn't have anything wrong with me. Well, I struggled with suicide ideaition since age 12 and my mom didn't see that and neither did my father. I also struggled with my moods and my personality. I also struggled with my physical health. But no one believed me. When I turned 16 years old, I came out to my whole family as bisexual and poly, and I became the enemy of my own family so my mental health became worse. But I was also self harming at this point off and on because I wanted to be better and I wanted to be good. I finally had my stepdad come and help but didn't get me professional help, I had both eating disorders and no one understood or knew I was that bad. My stepdad knew that my eating was bad.  And then I finally turned 17 years old and he got me on smoking weed and got me eating and I beat the eating disorders but I still had the other stuff going on that we didn't know.  I was injured with back injury and knew I was never going to be the same with the back. I was going to be different. I was also going to be working with my stepdad at the resturant he worked at. Then within four mpnths I had to quit because of my back in jury. I ended up finding a guy I thought I was going to be with forever and He was very abusive and wasnt the right guy and I didn't realize he was messing up my mental health even worse and when it came to him dumping me, I ended up in very bad place mentally and almost committed suicide until I met the guy I am with currently and then I moved with him that July. And then two years later my 21 year birthday I got to get semidrunk and then may 2020 I ended up in the hosptial and found out I had Type 1 diabetes and got told I had it all my life no doubt and my whole life changed. And then I started therapy and got told I had depression and anxiety and PTSD. Then I got admitted to the hosptal for mental health issues that year and got help and went to a behavior health service place and they had diagnosed me with major depression and general anxiety disorder and PTSD and then within 6 months later I went back and found out I have Bipolar and borderline personality disorder. And it is hard knowing I have all these mental health issues and then I have physical health issues and multple physical health issues and it just keeps coming. And I live every day thinking every thing will get better and I will get through it. Sometimes it gets worse which doesn't help my depression sometimes but I know that my life will have its ups and downs.