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Sheila O’Shea triumphantly shouted, “I called it!” when she was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder II; a mental health diagnosis she always kind of knew she had. The post How I Learned I had Bipolar Disorder, or, “The Unpleasantness” appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.

Julia Tannenbaum’s adolescence was taken from her by a series of teenage traumas and mental health challenges; but she is only looking forward as she thrives in her twenties. The post Overcoming My Teenage Traumas Allowed Me to Find Freedom in My Twenties appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.

This mental health recovery story focuses on Lindsey’s journey through abuse and childhood trauma, gaslighting, and hospitalizations, where Lindsey learned to trust her intuition and find practices around caring for herself. Read more in this mental health essay! The post We’ll Leave The Gaslight on For You appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.

Alexis Zinkerman writes about the intersectionality between bipolar disorder, spirituality, and creativity. The post From Manic Insights to a Holistic Truth; Moving Towards Healing with Bipolar Disorder appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.

Taking Xanax to help Maria Palmer cope with her sometimes debilitating anxiety had serious limitations and, eventually, Maria realized she needed more help. The post Anxiety’s Magical Little Pill appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.

Carissa Chesanek’s father experienced undiagnosed PTSD from his experience in Vietnam. His daughter never went to war, but was diagnosed with the same illness. The post PTSD: The Unlikely Disease that Brought my Father and I Together appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.

This mental health recovery story focuses on Leif’s journey through hospitals, homelessness, and diagnosis. Leif learned to advocate for himself and now finds ways to do so for others. Read more in this two-part essay! The post Life Has Become Wonderful: My Life with Schizoaffective Disorder (PART 2 OF 2) appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.

This mental health recovery story focuses on Leif’s journey through hospitals, homelessness, and diagnosis. Leif learned to advocate for himself and now finds ways to do so for others. Read more in this two-part essay! The post Life Has Become Wonderful: My Life with Schizoaffective Disorder (PART 1 OF 2) appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.

Bipolar mania told Erika Nichols-Frazer that sex was love, that Stephen Colbert and John Oliver would want to interview her, and that gibberish was genius; these are the lies mania told her. The post Lies Mania has Told Me appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.

Brian Marshall has seen the same therapist for decades, and his relationship with her has been a key element to his recovery from depression. The post Decades-long Relationship with Therapist Truly a Gift appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.

Anne Marie Malloy had trouble loving who she saw in the mirror after facing childhood trauma, so she’s reclaimed control over self-identity with piercings, Doc Martens, and a rebellious attitude to match. The post All The Colors Of Me Only Some Will See: Relearning to Love Your Body After a Trauma appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.

This mental health recovery story focuses on Andrea’s journey after an incident of unwanted touch in a public place. Andrea felt anger, confused, uncertain how to go on. Through mental health care and re-prioritizing her needs, read how Andrea learned to heal from her trauma. The post Learning to Prioritize Mental Health and Self-Care through a Traumatic Experience appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.

Eleni Stephanides has learned how to run with depression, instead of running from it. The post Long-Distance Running and Long-Running Depression: An Enduring Partnership appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.

As someone who lives with panic disorder, OCD and anxiety, Caitlin Irish is uniquely positioned to help people as a psychiatric nurse, and uniquely challenged. The post A New Psychiatric RN Faces Her Career, and her own Mental Health appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.

Losing people is always hard; for Amanda Wolf, the grief and loss following the deaths of a close friend and her grandfather threatened to overcome her. The post Walking through Life with Grief appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.

Faced with traumas before unimagined, Laura turned to the tool of magical thinking to create safety after ongoing experiences of trauma. The post Magical Thinking as Trauma Response: How I Created Safety through Imagination appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.

Faced with trauma and grief, writer Laura Farrell turned to poetry to process her experiences. The post Anxiety & Trauma Poems appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.

Jules Aukerman, a budding pharmacist, confronts her sexuality and her eating disorder in this genuine, compassionate essay. The post Done Running: a Budding Pharmacist Confronts Her Eating Disorder & Sexuality appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.

Christina faced issues with addiction and the law, due to underlying mental issues, eventually with the proper help and diagnosis she learned to tackle these issues. The post Misunderstood, Misdiagnosed, Misled: My Story of Illness and Addiction appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.

Megan Fisher tried in vain to conceal her OCD behaviors from those closest to her, and therapy wasn’t the magic cure-all, until she found hope and help, compassion and change. The post Knock, Knock. Who’s There? OCD. appeared first on OC87 Recovery Diaries.