#yourvoicematters
From: USA
I am the one that stands out, but at the same time, the one who blends in. I am the chameleon that everyone loves. I am the one who listens to your problems, the one with the answers, the solutions, or the right thing to say to make you feel better. I’m right there when you want to go out and have fun to forget about him, her, your bad day, your new low. But who am I? Have you ever looked past me always being there and really looked at me? Have you looked into my eyes to see all the pain, the hurt, and the anguish.
I’m almost twenty-nine years old and I cut myself. Everyday I hurt on the inside and no one can see and no one asks. No one looks outside their world to see me. They just see me as someone with good advice. How did I get all that good advice? I have been medicated since I was five. I have been in therapy since I was eight. I’ve been in and out of psychiatric facilities since I was ten years old.
So who am I? I ‘m married and I have a steady job. I also have an apartment, a dog and a cat. I graduated from high school on time, even though I went to seven different ones in three different states, and they told me I would have to be held back a year (twice). I even graduated with a GPA of 3.84. I got the Hope scholarship and went off to college. I worked my way through college full-time; it may have taken me eight years to graduate but I have two bachelor’s degrees—one in marketing and one in finance. I helped launch two non-profits. I made a difference then, and I will continue to make a difference now.
So what’s wrong with me. Why can’t I just handle things normally. Why do I want to hurt myself? I know that I’m a great person and I want to help people. I know that I can make a difference because I already have and will continue to do so.
This is mental iIlness. People of all ages suffer from it. It’s not that I don’t know “how to act right” or I'm incapable of “acting my age”. This is a battle that I fight everyday. To fit in with what society expects of us. Well, society, according to the National Institute of Mental Health “An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census residential population estimate for ages 18 and older, this figure translates to 57.7 million people.” That’s a quarter of the population, people.
So please wake up! If you know someone with a mental illness, don’t judge nor put a stigma on them. Please try to understand them. That’s all we want. So here we go. I am awesome and people love me, despite my “mental illness.” Mental illness is just another part of myself. I promised myself when I was fifteen that I would write a book to help teenagers with self esteem. I have made so many more promises since then as I have continued to struggle. Well, today, the buck stops here.
Liz (Selflove)
Signs & Symptoms of Self Harm:
Note: If you or someone you know may be at risk of self-harming or cutting, please contact a doctor; go to the nearest hospital or emergency services in your area, to get professional help.