Documenting Experiences
with Mental Illness
& Neuro-Divergence
Things Your Suicidal Friend Wants (You) to Hear
Malcolm X said it best: “when we replace ‘I’ with ‘we’, illness becomes wellness.” We need our community. We need our community to hear and, at times, see through us.
I hadn’t even considered that being ignored triggered me, and prompted me to act so recklessly. But to answer her question, yes. I finally felt like the depths of my pain were understood by my community.
But just because people understood did not mean they knew how to react to it.
My Diagnosis, My Superpower, My Kyrpotonite
I told my pre-pandemic therapist, “There is something wrong with me. There is something else going on. I am 0 to 100. I don’t have any inbetween.” I had written a journal entry late-middle school to early high-school with those exact words.
Making A Safety Plan
Every new therapist or psychiatrist whose practice I visit, makes me do the same thing in our first session— make a safety plan. The safety plan is a document that lists the different methods you’ll try if you’re ever in a mental health crisis or feeling suicidal.
Responding to Death By Suicide
I don’t struggle with suicidal ideation as often as I used to, but I still get triggered every time somebody dies by suicide. And can I be honest? When I was in the thick of it, seeing the response that deaths by suicide had on people only made my own pending suicide seem that much more tantalizing.
Discovering I Am Actually Autistic
Hello there! April is Autism Awareness month, or, as some prefer, Autism Acceptance month. My name is Ashley. I’m 28 years old, and I was just recently diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).
Don’t Save Your Tears
Since getting my diagnosis of ADHD at age 22 (I am now 23), a lot of things have started to make sense, especially my sensitivity. Many neurodivergent people struggle with emotional dysregulation and rejection sensitivity dysphoria, which makes nearly every negative thing an enormous deal, even if it was tiny to begin with.
Navigating Dating While Mentally Ill
I recently revealed on my popular Instagram reel show: Search for Serotonin that I went on a date. People in my DMs congratulated me and said they were proud of me for taking this step. I thought it was funny all the fuss people made, but I had been very vocal about not trusting anyone ever again and remaining single to protect myself. And now here I am, allowing a man to give me butterflies.
SAD on the Campaign Trail:
I was diagnosed with SAD in the spring of 2017, better known as seasonal affective disorder and more recently anxiety disorder, both of which caused me many problems before and after running my campaign for Mayor in the City of Oxford, Mississippi.
Panic Attack First Aid
If you remember, I became a certified mental health first aider a couple years ago and one of the topics that we covered was anxiety attacks and panic attacks. Mental Health First Aid defines panic attacks as distinct episodes of high anxiety with fear or discomfort.
Skin Deep:
Dermatillomania. Excoriation Disorder. Skin-picking. These terms are used interchangeably to describe the repetitive and compulsive picking of one’s own skin.
Celebrating Another Year
Today, I am 28, and I have officially survived the 27 club. At 28, now 5 years of ~still being alive,~ I feel like I am not in any way closer towards achieving anything I want in life, and I am starting to struggle with the lack of results as the years speed by.
Tips for Taking Care of Yourself in Depressive Episodes
When you look online for depression tips most articles will tell you things like “drink more water, eat healthier, practice good sleep hygiene.” Today I wanted to share different tips for how to take care of yourself in a depressive episode where you are low functioning.
Life Is Worth Living
Life and its problems have a way of eroding us in a similar way, but beautiful things can be made from that process. The Grand Canyon is testament to that. My life is testament to that. A working masterpiece that will just get more amazing with time.
Understanding Triggers
Bouncing Back from Disappointment
BPD Rage
The Systemic Toll of Psychosis
In college, I moved day to day not knowing I had bipolar disorder. I was diagnosed just weeks after I graduated following a severe breakdown. During that breakdown and further along into my hospitalization at two different psych wards for a total of six weeks I went through extreme psychosis.
Hospitalization
A lot of people find inpatient stays to be very helpful for them. If you are ever afraid that you might be a danger to yourself or others and you want to be proactive about your health, I’d say go for it. I will share how my experience went before sharing some tips to consider if you ever consider an inpatient stay for yourself.
Hypomania:
I was diagnosed with Bipolar 2 back in 2016. Several times I have questioned the validity of this diagnosis and each time my professionals have reminded me that I’ve experienced both hypomania and depressive symptoms. I used to argue with them but after one incident in September 2019 I have come to accept that I do, in fact experience hypomania.
Haunted by PTSD
I used to think, based on media portrayal, that PTSD was limited to panic attacks and flashbacks. Nothing I had ever experienced was that dramatic.