Rachel's Story

I was diagnosed at 13 with depression, and at 14 it became clear that I was Bipolar. Things went downhill very quickly, I couldn't attend high school and ended up in ECT (Electro convulsive therapy) which saved my life. I pulled things together through congnative and traditional therapy along with medication. But when I went away to college I suffered from PTSD due to a sexual assault and came home in pieces. College at home went badly too. I went off my meds and ended up hospitalized with a suicide event. Eventually I found the strength to move on, and now am happily married with 2 beautiful kids. I am bipolar and always will be but it doesn't define who i am as a human being. It is a part of me, but not all I am.