In a way, I have been wanting to start this blog for at least 10 years. Certainly for 14 years, but could be as close to 30.
The past 14 years have been excruciating as I have been alienated from my two beloved children for those 14 years. The excruciating loss of my children’s relationship with me stems from a divorce, a misdiagnosed mental illness, overwhelming stress, and my battle self-medicating with alcohol.
I am starting this blog to help others who are going through mental illness, gut-wrenching loss, homelessness, or any adversity that they face. I have been there. The emotional pain of losing my children in my life led me to psychiatric hospitalization which led me to two psychiatric halfway house stays, which led me to living in the cellars of family members, to homelessness. I have been hospitalized eight times since 2008, all relating to my loss and mental illness that went undiagnosed for far too many years.
In October of 2012 I was then properly diagnosed and have been on the proper medication since and feel great. Now, I so want to be a voice for others, to be a friend, to mentor them and counsel them through the maze of mental illness, and to share my story to hopefully inspire others that they, too, can be the change they want to see in the world.
May this Blog help others. That is my main life purpose now and the purpose of this site. If you will comment or subscribe to my Blog posts, that would be great. Any way we can share our stories and get the stigma of chronic illness catapulted to the top of the list in terms of public awareness, then this Blog will have met it’s purpose as a means of helping others cope with illnesses that rob us of dignity, isolated us, and caused us to feel inferior to others. May the conversation start here!
IMPORTANT NOTES:
It is vital when dealing with any adversity to have a support network: To that end, I wan tto recognize my family, friends, and mentors who have stuck by me, thick and thin…Included in that powerful pack of people are my amazingly wonderful life coach (Laurie McAnaugh, www.lauriemcanaugh.com – check out her website if you want to change your life!) and therapist named Augusta (she knows who she is and how much she has meant to me!)
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