They’re just letters

There are 26 letters in the alphabet.
Those 26 letters have changed my life.
Within them, I found myself.

• BPAD
• PTSD
• GAD
• ADD
• RSD

Just looking at that, most people would just see an assortment of letters. They don’t spell anything. They’re just letters. So why are these letters, when put together in these particular assortments, so stigmatized by our society? Why are these the letters that we try to ignore?

I am starting this blog as a way to share my experiences with mental health and mental illness. I believe, more than anything else, that if we can talk about these topics openly and honestly it will help eliminate the associated stigma.

These are not easy subjects. For me to write, and for anyone who chooses to read.

Those letters, up above? Those are mine. But they aren’t who I am as a person. They don’t define me. But they help tell my story.

I believe that it’s up to us to tell others what it really means to experience a mental health condition. Mental illness is real, it isn’t always in a person’s control, and it can be scary and frustrating.

But I also believe that there are ways to combat the chaos in our heads. We don’t have to do it all on our own. By refusing to let ourselves and others ignore and stigmatize what it is we deal with, that is what gives me hope.