I have never been hospitalised, been prescribed medication, had a mental breakdown or been treated for mental health problems. However, a few years ago I experienced a difficult time in my life and I needed help. This is my story.
In Jan. 2006, a close friend and myself were out for a drive, and we were chatting about our lives, our problems etc. As the conversation went on I became more and more relaxed in the surroundings. It was then for the very first time I shared with my friend what had happened to me as a child. I told her that I had been sexually abused. The abuse had started when I was around 7 years old and lasted until I was about 11 years old.
I would usually become sick from being in a situation which would put me under a lot of pressure. I would become elated, confused and paranoid. Things which I could do before became harder to achieve. I would set my personal goals and standards up so high that before I reached them I would have a break down.
Once I reached a certain point where I couldn’t go on I would slip out of reality. It would start with paranoia which tortured me inside. Then delusions would begin and then eventually I would have to go to hospital. I didn’t understand that I was experiencing bipolar disorder. It came to a stage where I would even tell someone that I had a mental illness and I still didn’t fully believe or accept it. Eventually I accepted the fact that I had an illness that needed to be treated and I could then move on and help myself.