Mental illness should never be something to aspire to. Making it seem cute, romantic, or beautiful distorts what it actually is; scary, lonely, and ugly.

Depression is common, but it’s also common for people to freak out and not know how to support a friend. Below, I’ve listed a few ways in which you can help a friend with depression.

Writing and journaling is a cathartic, therapeutic experience. I started a journal when I was first diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. It helped me accept the illness, and work through the ups and downs of living with mental illness.

I’m a mental health writer and advocate and often find myself telling people to ‘reach out’ when they’re struggling. I stress how honesty and openness are important, that you can’t move forward without sharing your story with the people closest to you.

This book is for anyone that just wants to know more about Bipolar from someone who’s been through it and lived with the condition for nearly 20 years.

As someone that experiences actual delusional thinking, it’s difficult to hear people using the word to describe someone they disagree with. By using this term all you’re doing is insinuating our symptoms are synonymous with badness. 

Through the years I’ve had many mental health crises. I’ve been on the brink of ending it all, of no longer wanting to fight, of no longer wanting to exist.

Delusional thinking causes us to believe grandiose ideas about ourselves or may make us paranoid and secretive. Here’s a list of 6 things you can do to help.

Sometimes when someone is very ill, their behavior can be challenging.  It’s difficult to understand and to deal with. Often when someone is manic/ hypomanic, they can be very disinhibited. Their behavior could be embarrassing for you.

What do these photos say to you? You probably see a happy, smiling young person, enjoying life. The reality is I was ill in each of these photos.

Relationships can be difficult on their own even when the world around the couple presents no additional challenges. However, when one or both partners suffer from mental illness resulting from trauma, it can lead to more complex relationship bonds that may or may not be entirely healthy.