Define “mental illness”..it makes me “mental” to not understand how people who should be supporting you only judge you...regardless of how “mental” I am or how I might deal with anxiety in certain situations...it takes so much more strength to listen to your inner self who knows you are just fine and beautiful as your imperfect self...labeling seems to be a societal norm and just plain wrong which creates the chaos and idea that once mentally ill always mentally ill...

Wow those are fabulous questions... for me I've always had a down side, I've always had an addictive personality but only about 7 years ago did my depression and anxiety issues become so much worse.... it really hit me when I lost a job that was my life ... then it escalated from there. I believe I will never be free totally. But miracles do happen.

Mine started with cancer and ex husbands abuse and contol

My mental illnesses is not my destiny at all. It is a part of me that I have to address on a daily bases but it does not define me. Force for a lesson or reason for it being a journey for me again no. This is something that was brought on by things that happen to me as a child that made me this way. It is not me and I will not let it define my journey in life. Yes, I have let it for a long time until I figure out this not what life is about. Not my past all the abuse and so. It is and will be my journey only. I have mental illnesses I come to term with that but there is more to my journey, story and I will make it about Me not it.

Its not mental illness its mental skillness