“I wanted to share this for anyone who can resonate with any bit of what I wrote, because the stories of others have actually been the reason I asked for help.”

“I still battle with depression, anxiety, and PTSD, but I have learned healthy ways to cope. I have made friends with these demons — I hold their hands, I know what awakens them, and what calms them.”

“I told her, ‘I am having scary thoughts, and I don’t feel safe by myself.’ Saying those words felt more freeing than anything I had done before.”

“I am not bipolar. I have bipolar. I am not my diagnosis. I don’t need your sympathy. I need your advocacy.”

“My life has changed. I’ve changed. I’m someone I want to be friends with. I find myself worthy of the care that I so willingly give to others.”

“Today, I have found hope through the right dosage of medication, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), writing, blogging, running, yoga, and love.”

“I do not let my anxiety define me. Anxiety is something I have, but it is not who I am.”

“I have used therapy for different reasons: to process thoughts, to get through difficult times, and to connect things from my childhood that have shaped who I am today.”

“I am who I am, and I am proud and not ashamed of my mental illness. I fight the fight to live. I fight the fight to love who I am.”

“My youngest son, Benjamin, died by suicide in 2010, which catapulted me a million miles away into a strange new existence.”

“The biggest thing that has helped is just having a clear sense of what works for me, and what doesn’t. Being surrounded by nature. Making deep, personal connections with people.”

“In a way, beginning Narratives of Hope has been a celebration of how far I’ve come. I am still standing and I’m alive, and it has never felt so undoubtedly clear that this is my purpose in my life.”

“My journey with mental health has taught me a lot of things: that it’s never over; being vulnerable is a sign of strength; self-love can be quiet and loud.”

“Bipolar Disorder, whether it's I or II, is a serious condition that absolutely needs to be treated properly, and I advocate for mental health education everyday.”