Personal Stories

"Getting diagnosed with TD was a watershed moment for me. It brought the involuntary movements I was making to my conscious awareness."

"Maybe you, too, are one of the parents to whom I am speaking, and you have double duty. We are on the front line battling as well. We live in the world of constant unknowns. The pandemic will end eventually, but we must return to our post for a lifetime."

"This speed, savvy, and importance placed on unconditional support regardless of my circumstances was the rallying cry of my parents throughout my recovery, even when I fought them on it."

"If we look at my mental health condition as a body ache, you could say I’m having a 'flare up,' like the weather has changed suddenly and the body is letting me know. Surprisingly (or not? I don’t know), this is me in recovery."

Reactions like that are why I want to tell the world about my experience—the fact that my little story could change someone’s perspective on mental illness, well, that’s huge.

"I needed to be able to relate to someone who looked like me and was experiencing mental health issues like I was. I needed to see that there was hope and that with the right treatment, support and additional resources, that I could have a life worth living."

To me, recovery means validating my own feelings, trusting in my experiences and admitting that it was not my fault.

Mental illness does not discriminate. Parents should know that if their child has a mental illness, it is not because they weren't providing or creating a healthy environment for their child.

"My negative thoughts are telling me not to submit this because 'who cares about my struggles,' 'others have it way worse,' but I’m continuing to type this anyway because I want others who are struggling to know you are not alone."

Being a suicide loss survivor gives one much more perspective—I hope to use this perspective to educate others.