Happy Anniversary

It’s my blog’s one year anniversary.

It’s my one year anniversary of having made the decision to throw open the doors to what goes on in my brain and share my experiences where anyone can walk by and read what I’ve written.

It’s a year of intensive processing of my understanding aspects of mental illness that I struggle with.

It’s been a year of challenges. Of acceptance. Of tremendous growth.

I’m still me. But, I feel like the me now is such a better version of the me from a year ago. And I have so much belief that Future Me is going to be even better.

I still have those letters that are difficult to explain to people. Letters that make up the disabilities that make it hard to live inside my brain. I’m still considered and consider myself a person who lives with mental health disorders.

But, I’m happy. I *feel* happy. And, for the first time – I think ever – I actually trust that emotion. I can recognize it for what it is. Even when I’m feeling sad, happy is still there and is still possible.

I give a lot of credit to this blog. On how much opening up about my mental health has helped me. On how much work I’ve put into processing the big thoughts and small details that make up the experiences I live with every day.

Looking at pictures of me over the course of the last year, and I can see the changes. I’m smiling. Big. Natural. And without any self-consciousness.

I want to get back to writing more frequently. My stories are endless. My experiences worth sharing. And I still believe that my desire to better understand and to share my thoughts on different aspects of mental illness will continue helping me and, maybe, help other people. And will maybe keep breaking the stigma about talking openly about mental health.