Category: Advocacy
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Living With Someone Who Is Mentally Ill: Interview with My Husband
I was approached by a friend of mine who offered up the suggestion on doing an interview series with family members on what their thoughts and feelings were concerning my Mental Illnesses. I have to admit, I had been toying with this idea for a long time and at this…
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When You Fear Yourself
There were brief moments, tiny myopic moments, seconds that I could see my reality. In these moments of lucidity, I became scared. I was frightened at what I was becoming and how fast my body and brain were transforming. Fortunately (or unfortunately) these moments of clarity were scarce because my…
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Teaching My Daughter To Rise Above The Stigma Of Mental Illness
My daughter has seen me. She has seen me throughout her eleven years of life. She has seen me lose touch with reality several times, seen me cry uncontrollably many times, seen me at a handful of Psychiatric and Therapy appointments. She has even seen me become hospitalized. Throughout all…
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When You Learn How Important Self-Advocacy Is
In the last twenty years, off and on, with my frenemies, Anxiety & Depression, I have learned quite a bit about living a life with Mental Illness. My first twelve years were in secret, keeping my mouth shut on anything relating to the words melancholy, empty, sad. I was told…
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I Will Not Hide Anymore: A Letter To The Non-Believer
To The Non-Believer, If I passed you on the street, would you be able to identify that I am not ‘normal’? Would you cringe and slither away from me? Would you see me as different, weak, an attention seeker? For years, I stayed hidden because of people like you. Taught…
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When False Information On A Meme Makes You Angry…
But we live in a society that believes Mental Illness is not on the same level as a Physical Illness.
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Hi, My Name Is Not “Sophia’s Mom”
I was not given the name “Sophia’s Mom” at birth. How would my parents know all those years ago that I would go on to have a beautiful daughter and name her Sophia. I am sure they had hopes and dreams for grandchildren, but exact details as the sex and…
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When I Learned To Accept My Depression Diagnosis
I am not a woman who hides her age. I will admit it, I am 37. I don’t look it and that is probably why I will fully cop to my actual age. I have a young (very young) face and I am short (incredibly short). Throw these two traits…
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I Support: My Response To Recent Events
I didn’t know what ‘white privilege’ was until I attended the Warrior Mom Conference in Boston, MA in July of 2015. I have been living in a suburban bubble for the last twenty plus years. Before that I grew up in the melting pot that is New York City. I…
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Can I Call Myself An Author?
I have always dreamt of being a published Author. Writing has always been a huge part of who I am. I remember writing imagination filled stories since elementary school. In junior high, I expanded to poetry, the easiest form of writing to express myself. I was even in the Creative…
S. Paige Writes: 