Personal Narrative: Growing Up With Mental Illness

“Sexual assault” was a phrase I had never heard of as a 7 year old. Sure I had heard of rape and the big S-word, but never had my ears been exposed to the word until the summer of 2005.

My childhood and my innocence came crashing down when my dad told me the worst sentence that I’ve ever heard in my life, “Your mom has cancer”. There is nothing, no amount of mental or physical pain you can inflict me with, that could compare to what I felt in that moment. My dad gave us the news after my mom was taken to the hospital in the middle night because she could not breathe. So while we were hoping for her to breathe safely, we get hit with an even worse situation.

Throughout the nation and our world people are suffering from this disease. Depression effects people of both genders, all ages, and any background. The history of mental illness, specifically depression were extremely helpful in today’s treatment and diagnosis. We know that all individuals are different and because of this, we can assume that each case of mental illness, more specifically depression, is unique in its own way as well. One treatment that is very effective for one person may not be equally as effective in a similar case simply because of the differences in patients. History, types of depression, symptoms, and treatments are all equally important in finding ways to help one who is suffering from depression.

In order to pull myself out of the warm embrace of my bed every morning, I require grit: perseverance, passion, and mental strength. To begin, I must explain that I have major depressive disorder, a disorder in which I am not able to see the point of doing things and be a functioning member of society, and getting out of bed everyday is by far my biggest obstacle. More specifically, days that I am forced to pry myself out of bed and attend class are the worst, but I persevere and accomplish the task every time I can; I tell myself “you can do this”. Consequently, I am granted the power of perseverance and have an ability to keep going, even when I doubt that I can. Secondly, my burning passion for a few things helps me keep afloat. For example,

Do you know how to help a girl overcome her shyness and build confidence? Suggest she tries out for a travel team of her sport of choice that she excels at while doing. This is what helped me when I became a player many travel softball teams I have became a part of; becoming a member of the teams made tremendous impacts on my life.

I am Ruby Thompson, and I am asking for your consideration for the Courage to Grow Scholarship. I am a senior enrolled. in Bluefield College and hopefully my last semester. I currently have a 3.69 gpa, and I am a Human Service major. I have worked very hard to excel to this level. My journey has not been easy to accomplish. I returned to school at the age of 48, I successful graduated from Tidewater Community college and received my associates in Human services. When I returned to school In Aug 2010 I was homeless, the first year with three older children, I eventual moved into my friends converted garage, where I lived with my sons. In Jan 2013, I moved into my own place until with the help of my youngest

High school has impacted my life in so many ways. High School taught me so many things, from personal relationships to creating a relationship with my education. As a freshman, I made a huge amount of mistakes and I regret doing foolish things, but I’ve realized, I was only maturing into the young adult I am today. Freshman year, I was out of focus and I was only trying to find myself. I would also prioritize other things and ignore my parent’s advice, where they would tell me to focus in school and give it my full attention. It took me about 2 years to find myself and know where I belonged. My behavior has improved, I know how and when to approach people. I’m also more involved with my education and I make goals for myself. I’m done having

When I was in the 10th grade, I was close friends with a young man named Alex Koser. He was not the type of person who was easily scared. In fact, he had very few fears, and he rarely was frustrated when life presented him with obstacles.

I am surrounded by darkness, confined in a paltry room its contents limited to a bed with a thin mattress and pillow. The air is dense and smells of blood. The brown walls smothered in writing reek of mulch. The only way to get in or out is through a small metal door that is locked from the outside. I feel like a caged animal, my every move being watched. I curl up in a ball on the floor, panic, worry, and uneasily drift in and out of sleep. From what I can tell I am in a mental hospital. The Bella Vista mental asylum, the place where nothing good ever happens. I tremble uncontrollably and hear queer voices in my head.

Alameda County California. I grew up in Oakland, California and went to Franklin Elementary School. When I was in the 5th grade I moved to Hayward California and went to Eldridge Elementary School. As a transfer student, I felt different from everyone else and my learning abilities were different. I learned quicker than others and was more intellectual than they were and because of these things I never really had friends. I passed all my classes with A’s or B’s.

We've all hit the point in our lives when fart jokes weren't funny anymore. This point was when we all thought we were mature and the kids that still made fart jokes were immature. What mature meant to me in middle school was not making fart jokes. What mature means to me now is going through a life experience that your attitude, gossiping, the responsibilities you take on, your views on life all change and you are a different person after that particular event.

it was a summer night at mark walters house. When he woke up by an intruder in his house. He chased him outside with a baseball bat and as he was running away. The chase got out the house and mark struck him in the back of the head. With a loud crack and a blood splatter of the brains onto the ground. He burst into tears and throwing up all over himself. He finally found his way to the phone and called the police. When the police arrived he ran to them pleading his case. They put him into custody for questioning. He was found guilty in court of killing a fleeing person. Mark was sent to the state prison and roomed with a tall lanky white man by the name of carl. Carl from first impression was very pale person with broken classes. When mark

On Christmas Eve my junior year of college, my grandpa and grandma on my mom’s side passed away in an accident. A week later, my older brother suffered from a psychotic episode and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital with symptoms of schizophrenia. Travelling back to school, I was physically and emotionally drained. This was hardest time of my life and the largest obstacle I have faced so far. I rely on my family for support and this foundation had been severely shaken; however, I did not have time to mourn and recover. The MCAT test was fast approaching and it was necessary to devote myself to my classes and studying. I went to work and started by focusing on the things I can control. I exercised, meditated, and made sure I was eating

When I started my 9th grade year, I had a best friend. Not even a quarter of the way into my school year, they had betrayed me. They lied to me and they lied about me. In one confrontation where I asked for my phone back because they had been using it, they told me that I was useless and that I should kill myself. That was when my parents and I decided that I needed to switch schools.

Poetry is not meant to be luxurious and obvious, it is a secret form of communication that can be done on a subway, in bed, or in the middle of eating a sandwich. Poetry allows those struggling to find the words to say and act as a means to share exactly what is on their mind. Creative practices are becoming a prominent and significant recovery method for the mentally ill and unstable. They enable people to express what they may be unable to say in any other way, and give them a safe place to share it. While mental illnesses are better understood and accepted by most individuals, there is still a large negative stigma to those who suffer from illnesses such as depression and bipolar disorder. Multiple layers of misunderstanding are responsible