My mother had manic-depressive illness that she lived with her entire tragically short life. She wasnt diagnosed until she was in her 50s. She went from a single, unwed pregnant (with me) mother at the age of 16 to a Chrysler executive before she died from cancer. We moved every two years when I was a kid. I went to eight different schools before 9th grade and three different high schools. She was married five times before ending her life in a lesbian marriage, her longest relationship in her life. We were fortunate. Though she tried to commit suicide at least twice, she survived her own mind and did get mental health treatment though she went decades before she was properly diagnosed and treated. The conversations happening since Robin Williams death are so crucial. We absolutely must take the stigma out of mental illness so that it can be treated properly and early enough to make a difference. Had my mom been a little bit more aggressive in her suicides, my life would look drastically different than it does today.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 18:30:02 +0000