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Having a Mental Illness Doesn’t Have to Be an End-All Situation

The possibility of a life well-lived absolutely exists.

Becca CO 🌵
Black Bear
6 min readOct 21, 2024

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A dirt trail leads through trees.
My happy place is a trail through the trees. Image credit: Becca CO

“I was alone again in the unquiet darkness.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

You can live a fulfilling life even with a mental illness. Where there is darkness, there can be light again. I’m not telling you to look on the bright side because that would be completely dismissive of how mental illness impacts lives. I am saying that there is hope, even in the face of immense suffering.

You may be in the midst of clinical depression or suffering from another mental illness. If so, I’m speaking to you from my heart. I’ve been there and wouldn’t wish those days on my worst enemy.

What has gotten me through my darkest moments is the light I know exists in the gift of life — the very life that seems to want to destroy me at times.

I’ve had to become resilient because of having bipolar disorder. I have had to be tough in the face of trauma and life oppositions — as many of us have. No one makes it through life unscathed. Not everyone has a mental illness, but everyone has dealt with the darkest of times and the emotions that come with those moments.

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Black Bear
Black Bear

Published in Black Bear

At Black Bear, we share informative articles and personal stories about struggling with mental health and substance use disorders.

Becca CO 🌵
Becca CO 🌵

Written by Becca CO 🌵

Autistic | Survivor—I write about how life's challenges affect living—NF & poetry are my niches. Editor for Black Bear. https://www.instagram.com/becca_collora/

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