"Panic disorder is both my heaviest burden and my biggest badge of honor."
I have ADHD, anxiety, OCD and a tic disorder. But none of them rule my life. Most importantly, I am no longer a prisoner to panic attacks.
I still struggle with my anxiety, but it gets better. It’s hard to see when you’re in such a dark place, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
The first time it happened, I was nine years old. My fourth-grade teacher asked me to go to the administration office to pick up some papers. When I arrived there, a strange and terrifying sensation came over me, like I wasn’t sure what I was doing. Am I really here? I...
I’m persevering because I recognize that I am just as entitled to receiving help as anyone with a physical illness. I have a right to live a happy and healthy life.
I’d never thought of myself as a particularly fearful person. When I was 11, I fought three bullies off my stepbrother with my undersized fists. Later that year, I found the courage to run away from an abusive home, and by thirteen, I never went home again. For much of my li...
My name is Daphne. I am about to turn 40 and I have four children. I live with bipolar 1, PTSD and panic disorder with agoraphobia.
We learned how to get rid of you. Our doctors helped us develop ways to control you. We’re healthy and happy now.
My symptoms started when I was ten years old. My heart would pound and I’d feel lightheaded. I would feel disoriented, like I was living in a fog or dream. I would be sweaty and shaky and feel as if I was going to faint. I knew these feelings weren’t normal, but I didn’t w...
"We can make accommodations for people to participate in events and belong with their communities. We can continue to make space for each other to breathe and interact with others at their own pace."
Everyone can experience anxiety, but when symptoms are overwhelming and constant — often impacting everyday living — it may be an anxiety disorder.
"I'm dying. Right here on this sidewalk. Alone. I'm going to die." That was the narrative running through my mind during my first panic attack when I was 20 years old. I had been enjoying dinner with my family at an Italian restaurant, when out of nowhere the restaurant s...
I was a young girl when I started to experience confusing and frightening symptoms. I didn’t tell anyone. I knew my problem wasn’t normal and didn't think anyone would ever understand. I didn't dare speak up, in fear of being ridiculed. I thought I could handle it on my o...
Together we will be fighting for life, for equality, for understanding, and most importantly, for empathy for all who struggle to live with mental illness.
NAMI's fact sheets offer clear, concise information on mental health topics. Share them with a loved one, bring to a doctor or hand them out at health fairs.
Agoraphobia was one of my first diagnoses. As a child, I didn’t know what this word meant. I now know that this mental health condition, according to Dr. John Barnhill of New York-Presbyterian Hospital, is the “fear and anxiety about being in situations or places without ...
Chelsea's personal experience with OCD has taught her that while you can’t control others’ behavior or what they say, you can control your reaction to it.
I am touched by these conditions which are both a curse and a blessing. The blessing is the empathy it has taught me. The curse is the pain it has caused and will continue to cause.
Shame kept me silent for a long time, until the walls that concealed my secret finally crumbled under the weight it carried.