I Have A Brain-Related Chronic Illness
Are you more likely to respect my journey now than if I tell you I have a mental illness?
Viewing mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety as different from physical ailments costs those of us who do battle with them daily — and society — more than just our health.
I’m emerging from a deep depression that was about four months in length. How do I realize I’m coming out of it? Only because I now know how sick I have been over this period of time. Yet I’ve been working, taking care of at least one of my sons, and providing full-time care and companionship to my elderly mother who resides in my home, this whole time.
Of course I’m not alone: According to Bipolar Lives, approximately 5.7 million Americans deal with bipolar disorder.
And I’m here to tell you that we’re all freaking superheroes.
This depressive episode wasn’t as long or as deep as The Very Bad Time, that spell nearly ten years ago now when I had a complete nervous breakdown that lasted for almost three years. During that time, I was almost completely bed-bound, largely unable to care for myself. My house languished in disrepair and, at times, filth, as did I. My income dwindled down to nearly nothing. Every day was a struggle to make…
