My mental illness didn't keep me from being a nurse, but it helped me know what kind of nurse I want to be. And I am so grateful for this chance to help those in my community and do what I love.
It is hard enough being part of a minority but being at the crossroad of several has a multitude of disadvantages. But we are here. People like us exist and our stories should not be confined to closed doors or personal statements. The narratives of people who live with mental illness every single day deserve to be listened to.
When I paint I lose the sense of time, my surroundings and more importantly my thoughts. This has allowed me to learn to manage my mental health as it reduced a lot of my stress.
The once confident man I had been seemed to have vanished; I couldn’t even get out of bed to go to school without anxiety medications. Anxiety? What the FACK was that?
I am ridiculously open with my students about my mental health when I need to be. If there is a student who is struggling emotionally and is diagnosed or is wondering if they should seek intervention, I will tell them that I have biploar disorder, that it’s really hard sometimes, but that there is also hope that it won’t “ruin” my life. I think it’s good for them to know that you can have a mental health issue and still be a functioning member of society.