It's so great to feel this good, this capable of opening up... this confident in sharing some of the hardest things I've gone through. For years I have tried to write about my experiences with mental illness and share what I was going through but it was always so hazy. It felt nearly impossible to understand my own emotions and what I was going through and the small periods of clarity never seemed long enough to articulate this complicated storm that is my Bipolar. But now, with the medication bringing beautiful balance to my mind and emotions, I feel like I've now filled this mold of the person I've always wanted to become... not perfect, but confident and transparent, full of empathy and understanding, and able to share my shortcomings and dark moments unabashedly. I do not apologize for my bipolar, I do not accept any stigma placed on my illness and I will speak up and increase awareness as much as I can. After all, there's no way we can work on removing the stigma and discrimination of mental illness if we continue to live in this shame and fear of vulnerability! That's the great thing about being open about you or a loved one having a mental illness, the struggle and rawness of it all... it not only gives others that safe place to share their own stories and experiences, but increases society's recognition of mental illness as a simple chemical imbalance no different than a diabetic's imbalance or lack of insulin.
I hope that this blog will not only help me articulate my experiences and process my journey, but also give readers insight and encouragement regarding mental illness.
To give you a bigger picture on how every one of us is impacted by mental illness, here are some stats:
and finally, I leave you with this...
Stay healthy and happy, my dears.
~ Camila
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