Personal Stories

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To Thrive Instead of Just Survive

Trigger Warning:  The following content contains light discussion of sexual violence. Sometimes I just stare at the wall.  Sometimes I just stare at the wall and find myself in the Land of Make Believe. I can run, play skip, and dance, and no one will look at me like I’m the C word (crazy). [...]

By | 2020-07-15T22:20:48+00:00 July 15th, 2020|NAMI Blog, Personal Stories|1 Comment

Recovery is Possible

I haven’t always struggled with seasonal change, it wasn’t until the age of 35 in late autumn that I had my first struggle with seasonal change and I attributed much of this to my loss of work during winter months.  I was self-employed as a home remodeling contractor and my workload peaked during spring, summer and [...]

By | 2021-05-14T15:15:50+00:00 June 25th, 2020|NAMI Blog, Personal Stories|2 Comments

A Man Who Chooses To Tackle the Battle

Men and Mental Health used to sound like an oxymoron. When I grew up it was “boys don’t cry,” or “suck it up,” or my favorite “stop acting like a little girl,” as if girls were the only ones who experienced different emotions. Now, I’ll agree that showing your emotions is a sign of weakness to predators [...]

By | 2020-06-17T20:30:05+00:00 June 17th, 2020|NAMI Blog, Personal Stories|Comments Off on A Man Who Chooses To Tackle the Battle

Whittling the Chip on my Shoulder

I often reflect back on my initial diagnosis, relapse and how far I’ve come beating a path to recovery. We all know the stigma associated with mental health. Being a man, particularly in Marine Corps during my initial diagnosis, carries a little extra weight. I’m the oldest son, biggest brother and head of the household. I grew up playing and [...]

By | 2020-06-10T15:13:38+00:00 June 10th, 2020|NAMI Blog, Personal Stories|3 Comments

I am simply a man who struggles with depression, simple as that. Wow.

An oversimplification of my journey through mental health would be to say that every defining moment has been shaped by some form of avoidance or denial. When I was very young my parents got divorced, my mother sent me to a children’s counselor and I, as an eloquent 7 year old, insisted that I [...]

By | 2020-06-03T19:52:19+00:00 June 3rd, 2020|NAMI Blog, Personal Stories|Comments Off on I am simply a man who struggles with depression, simple as that. Wow.

Your Differences Are Your Superpowers

By Nicholas Emeigh,  NAMI Bucks County Ending The Silence Presenter  My name is Nick and I was born and raised in Bucks County, PA and attended college in Boston. I was and am always afraid that my technically invisible mental health diagnoses will be visible to those I meet, and worry that I will be judged [...]

By | 2018-06-20T15:36:17+00:00 June 20th, 2018|NAMI Blog, Personal Stories|Comments Off on Your Differences Are Your Superpowers

What I Wish You Knew About PTSD and Veterans

By Nikki Dawson, Graduate Intern at NAMI Keystone Pennsylvania One of the biggest disconnects between civilians, and veterans and service members, is the myth that if we’ve been to war we have posttraumatic stress disorder. I understand how easy it would be to fall into that mindset; as often times, when veterans make headlines, especially [...]

By | 2017-12-13T13:18:23+00:00 November 11th, 2017|NAMI Blog, Personal Stories, Uncategorized|Comments Off on What I Wish You Knew About PTSD and Veterans

Recovering Successfully: Five Steps to Follow

By Shawn Pfeuffer 1. Determining what stage of recovery you are in. Many of those living with a mental health condition are in different stages of recovery. There are simply so many levels of recovery for every mental health condition out there. I live with bipolar, brief psychosis, and general anxiety disorder. My recovery is [...]

By | 2017-12-13T13:23:32+00:00 September 14th, 2017|NAMI Blog, Personal Stories|Comments Off on Recovering Successfully: Five Steps to Follow

The Possible Impossible

By Cara Lyons Ever since I was young, I have always had a strange fascination with hospitals. While my parents hated hospitals because they reminded them of death and dying, I couldn't help but be amazed by how someone could come into the emergency room on the brink of dying, but walk out alive and [...]

By | 2017-12-13T13:28:40+00:00 August 16th, 2017|Personal Stories|Comments Off on The Possible Impossible

Nine Thoughts on Schizophrenia

Nine Thoughts on Schizophrenia By DJ Jackson 1. Violence. I’ve been a consumer in the mental health system since 1997 and I’ve encountered about 3 people (all men), that have what we call ‘The Violent streak.’ Most people are just working hard at feeling well, and getting through the day in one piece. For some [...]

By | 2017-07-06T13:51:11+00:00 July 6th, 2017|Personal Stories|Comments Off on Nine Thoughts on Schizophrenia