Secret struggles: stories of mental health

When you hear your parents shout, ‘Clean your room!’ most would reply with a grumbling ‘Okay’ or a slight argument, but that is not the reality for Charlie*. He was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, depression and Oppositional Defiant Disorder—a mental disorder which causes the victim to be disobedient, uncooperative and even violent. Charlie began showing signs when he was only ...

Nicole* was writing an essay while she saw something on the wall. It distracted her and completely threw her off of her train of thought. She ended up getting a 65 percent on that essay, and her grades and focus only got worse as time went on. Nicole was diagnosed with ADHD, ADD, general anxiety, and depression after her mom took her to the doctor to find out why she could not focus. “Havi...

While playing his instrument in band class, Jacob* became lightheaded. He quickly set his instrument down before falling to the ground, shaking and unresponsive. The untrained eye might mistake this episode for a seizure, but it was actually a side effect of extreme anxiety. Jacob will have instances when he is just doing homework at the next thing he knows he falls backwards and starts twitchin...

When Sarah* had her first episode, she could not get out of bed. When she had her second, she struggled to brush her teeth or her hair, or take a shower. After visiting the doctor, she was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and general anxiety.  “My anxiety has caused me to freak out while driving. It has made me almost get into multiple accidents because I can not pay attention,” Sarah*...

It was a normal trip to New Jersey, an annual tradition for Jane*. Until the nausea hit. Until she threw up. Until the panic attacks. What was once a vacation quickly turned into a sleepless nightmare. “I started screaming and crying because I could not get myself to eat without throwing up,” Jane said. “It makes me feel like it is pointless to be alive or do anything during my panic attack...

Stuck was the word Blair* used to describe her first anxiety attack. She was stuck in her room. Stuck in her head. Stuck dealing with her emotions by herself. For days on end, she was stuck in one place and could not move. “Being there, in my room, completely stuck was probably one of the scariest things I have ever experienced,” Blair said. “I had no idea what to do, all of my friends and family ...