I pledge my commitment to the Blog For Mental Health 2013 Project. I will blog about mental health topics not only for myself, but for others. By displaying this badge, I show my pride, dedication, and acceptance for mental health. I use this to promote mental health education in the struggle to erase stigma.

When I first started blogging back in 2008, I was part of a small, but supportive, group of bloggers sharing our successes’ and our struggles that come with living with mental illness.  This past January, when I came back to blogging full time, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the number of Mental Health bloggers had grown tremendously.  Happily I stumbled across A Canvas Of The Minds and the Blog for Mental Health Project which is an excellent way to locate a variety of mental health bloggers. Each sharing their own experiences.

I always considered myself a weird kid (I’m sure many others thought so as well.) For many years I was diagnosed with depression, but something about that diagnosis just didn’t feel right. Over time my behavior became more erratic and reached the point where my life was completely falling apart and I didn’t know what to do. I sought help from the Los Angeles County Mental Health Department. Being underfunded and overloaded, I was turned away several times. I was terrified and began to wonder what was the point of staying around in this world any longer.

I don’t know where I got the perseverance to keep trying, but I did, and was finally accepted as a client. It was not a moment too soon because my life was a shambles and I believed I was going completely insane. It was through the county system that I was, finally, accurately diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It was a pleasant surprise to find that I was just crazy, not insane.

It took several years to find the right medication cocktail I needed to get my life in order. I wish I could say I am cured, but I am not. I have, however, reached the point that most of the time I am able to be a productive member of society. My life is a country song played backwards.

I returned to writing regularly on my blog to share those times that I still struggle with mania and depression. In addition, I hope my story will show many that life can get better. I consider my painful journey a success today and with that I hope to inspire others.

Thank you, Ruby Tuesday of Canvas of the Mind for the opportunity to be a part of this growing network. If you are a mental health blogger and would like to be a part of this special project I highly recommend you take a look at Blog For Mental Health 2013 to see how you can qualify.

Looking for other mental health bloggers? Here’s an excellent list. It’s the Blog For Mental Health 2013 Official Blogroll. I’m sure you’ll find something on that list that speaks to you and help you feel you are not alone on this wild ride we call mental illness.