To the girl that's like me

Today may not be the perfect day but that doesn't meant there can't be perfect moments. Having bipolar 2 and depression along with other mental illnesses people tend to look at you different or in fear when you tell them that.

I am not crazy …

Being diagnosed with bipolar 2, depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder definitely makes me a unique individual. Growing up I blended in with the "normal" crowds, never really needing to share my personal mental health information. It wasn't until college and internships that I started having to tell people about my mental illnesses. I will never forget my first internship where I told co workers and they reacted in an "oh shit. She's crazy" type of way. I had never had that reaction before. I always waited until a person really got to know me before sharing the information about my mental health. Usually by then they are in disbelief that I am a high functioning mentally ill person and sometimes even shocked.

I remember when they were joking that I was crazy, it didn't hurt my feelings because they were joking with me, (because I am quite a sarcastic person myself) but more because of the negative stigma that surrounds those illnesses. To me that was the first time I experienced first hand, the negative impact the stigma has around mental illnesses. I want to end that.

I am a smart 23 year old woman. I am diagnosed with bipolar 2, depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder. This in no way has prevented me from getting my bachelors degree in kinesiology, or working since the age of 15, or prevent me from trying anything I did not want to. YES, day to day I struggle but does that stop me from completing my goals on my OWN time? NO! I am proud of who I am and who I am becoming. Daily challenges were probably more difficult than most who don't suffer from mental illnesses but that never stopped me completely in my tracks, it only became speed bumps that slowed me down but never STOPPED me!

For anyone who faces any of these challenges I want you to know that you are not alone and you can defy the odds. People like us defy the odds every day when we don't let depression take over us and get out of bed that day! Not every day is perfect but there are perfect moments in almost every day. Make sure to pat yourself on the back everyday for your little victories each day like getting out of bed, or not letting anxiety hold you back from another first day at a new job, or letting the lows of bipolar take over your whole life and put a halt to all projects currently going on in your life. You can do anything you want to, just maybe not the same timeline as people with out mental illnesses, but hey, don't they say "slow and steady wins the race"?

Today may not be your day but that doesn't mean tomorrow can't be.