I wanted to respond in person about my post on Friday (click here to catch up).
I say um a lot and my nose looks crooked.
So, there’s that.
I wanted to respond in person about my post on Friday (click here to catch up).
I say um a lot and my nose looks crooked.
So, there’s that.
I have an anxiety disorder and am a lifelong anorexic (who is now overweight). I take medication, lots of it. I will be in counseling forever.
I do have pants on, though.
If you can be brave, so can I.
This is PRECISELY why you keep doing what you did. *So* proud of you for being brave enough to put it out there.
I think I said it on your wall, but medication is just a tool, and it’s not always the right tool. I think that is something that society doesn’t always recognize, because we tend to believe that doctors and pills are a little bit magic.
I don’t normally share links in comments, because I’m pretty sure it’s violating some internet rulez. But (yeah, I’m going to do it anyway) bandbacktogether.com is a place where we’re *trying* to remove the stigma of mental illness. And it’s also a safe place for people to share those things that they maybe feel they can’t quite say out loud yet. Anonymous posting totally allowed.
I second thepsychobabble about bandbacktogether.com its freaking incredible.
also brittany? your voice is TOTALLY different than I expected it to be. Not sure what I was expecting but its adorable. and thank you.
I think it’s wonderful that you can use this platform to not only sort out your own kind of crazy but also to reach out to others and hopefully give them the strength to find their own platform! Different things work for different people and sometimes just knowing that you aren’t alone is enough of a push to start looking at what works for you (me)…. thank you! Anyone who has negative feedback for you can just suck it….. I don’t think that my being 33 is too old to tell people to suck it, do you?
I’m glad for your post, and for this little video thing. I’ve been fighting for more openness in my family, which I think is a good place to start. It’s not easy, and sometimes I need to step back a little to recover from what happens when I speak up. BUT. I’m not going to stop. It’s silly, completely ridiculous, to not be able to talk about this. Right? Right.
ANXIETY RULES!
Or, uhm, maybe not-so-much. But I’m here, I’m queer, and I’m waving the anxiety flag with you.
Thank You Brittney. I struggled with alot of what you posted about for a long time. As I read your post last week I was reminded of what I had gone through, and what I still go through. I made a choice, one that was right for me but it certainly is not right for every one, heck, sometimes it isn’t even the right one for me. It is a hard life to live, and it is always a struggle. I wish you luck in your battle and hope you find a solution that works for you.
Also, I applaud you for bringing forth this subject. I talk fairly openly about the struggle that I encounter, and the very bad places I was in many years ago. Although I can laugh about some of the things that happened now, it was a very real, very raw struggle to get where I am now. When I talk about it or make reference to it with my family or friends they tend to cringe away or skip past it like the subject is taboo and should be treated like it never happened. It did happen, it is real and it is and always will be part of who I am. I like to think that having the ones I love understand my struggle may help them be more understanding of others with similar issues. Thank you again. This had to be very hard for you, but it please know that it helps so many others.
Being that I’m taking my six year old to the doctor today to discuss anxiety and her inability to sleep at night, I thank you. I thank you for being so vocal about this topic and speaking out so that other people may one day feel comfortable enough to speak out as well.
I love you girl and you know I’m right there with you- trying to make mental illness look not quite so frightening and White Coat-y.
PS. Am I the only one now curious as to exactly how many areolas you have?
You are freaking awesome. And amazing. And that shirt makes your boobs look great.
You rock my anxious little world, brave lady.
Rock on! Seconding Psychobabble’s comment above bandbacktogether.com is awesome.
I just hope you know that your honesty and candor about this (and oh-so-many other issues) reaches people. I may not comment all the time, but I (and my partner) ALWAYS read you.
Also, you come up in our conversations, like “Did you see that Barefoot Foodie has trouble leaving her kids with people too?” – But totally not in a creepy, stalkerish way. More like in a we would be super fun neighbors way.
We are all fighting our own battles; I’m not going to pretend to know yours better than you.
I look in the mirror every day…and depending on the day the mood…or the level of anxiety in my head (today we are flying the yellow flag… my husband leaves for business tomorrow and I am pretty sure we will be flying red or black tomorrow and till he gets back) I see the face of mental illness. It took me a long time to come to terms with that. It took me a long time to be able to say that. I have severe anxiety..not always crippling but it can get ugly. I call it the waitingontheothershoetodropsyndrome. I havent always had it. I got cancer at 17. Diagnosed terminal given two weeks to live…that didnt phase me. I survived it.. But somewhere around 21 something happened. I think the panic bomb detonated and I have never been the same. I started having panic attacks..big ones little ones…you name it.. Sometimes I have a reason and most people could understand…sometimes the reason only seems valid to me. So since I was 21 I havent slept more than a few hours at night…unless medicated..which I dont do often. I have came close to the edge of losing it for good 3 years ago…lots of therapy and enough drugs to kill an elephant later and I am backing to functioning at a normal level for me. I live a pretty normal life on the outside but you cant see what goes on in my head…at least I hope you cant. Every bump or bruise ache or pain and I am pretty sure I have a new disease or illness… Did I mention as a side effect from the chemo I have since had several illness…not to mention I have to worry about future cancers..yeah its fun to be me. I have a supportive husband…sometimes he gets it…sometimes I am sure he doesnt get it completely…no one does.. Unless you live inside my head you will never completely understand.. I am there and I am pretty sure I dont get it either. Thanks for bringing awareness to it…I dont think enough people know how serious it can be.
I have sabotaged just about every relationship I have ever had due to my mental illness. The minute someone gets too close, I do some irrational thing to make them run far, far away. Why? Not quite sure yet…just started therapy. I appreciate you and all that you say more than you will ever know. Truly grateful that you have the platform and voice that you do, and that you use it well…Thank you from the bottom of my heart…
Seriously, you are adorable time a million!
I applaud you and thank you from the bottom of my heart! For years and even now, I find it very difficult to admit my dad’s mental illness. I am just now coming to grips with it and allowing myself to breath it in and let others know instead of hiding from it and pretending it doesn’t exist.
I deal with a lot of stress related anxiety and need to get myself in check with it because it wreaks havoc on others and I hate that I allow it to get that far. I know I sometimes enjoy the crazy that is me beacuse I have “control” and no one else is dictating how my crazy or erratic behavior should be because it’s my own. BUT, I do know I am dealing with my stresses wrong and have to start dealing with them the right way.
Thank you again for being beautiful, amazing YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are amazing & you are loved.
Well crap. I had to cry a little at that. I really should start investing in waterproof mascara. I’m crying from laughing too hard normally when I read your stuff. And this video was the epitome what a good “follow-up” looks like. NAILED IT. Pants or not.
My anxiety consumes me. It keeps me from truly living. I hate to leave my house and struggle to interact with other adults. The most difficult part is hiding it from my children. Especially from the one who worries about things he shouldn’t and constantly bites his nails until they bleed because of his worries. To anyone who is fortunate enough to not have this illness but ignorant enough to judge others who do, please take a moment to educate yourself on how mental illness affects each individual and the ones they love. It is not something that will just go away with medication or therapy. It is real. And it is difficult. I would like to hope that as my son gets older the stigma associated with mental illness will be less, but it probably won’t. It’s a cruel world.
the world is mentally ill. you are insanely lucid and f’in hilarious. you are a breath of fresh air on this fart bubble of a planet.
You are so right, it is hard to say out loud that you have a mental illness. Because who wants to be perceived as bat shit crazy. Like some old homeless lady who feeds pigeons that sit on her head. But you know what, I’m bat shit crazy and I’ve never let a pigeon sit on my head. I have good days and bad ones and I have to push the bad aside, because I’ve got these 2 baby boys here that I need to care for while their mama works and what mama wants to thinks she’s left her babies with a crazy loon.
I learned a lot from reading the comments from your post on Friday. I have always had a really hard time understanding anxiety. I know that I hate the feeling when I have it, and that’s not often. I worked with someone whose anxiety was so debilitating that she would just shut down and need to leave. After reading all of this, I feel that I can be more sympathetic to those struggling with panic and anxiety. Thank you for educating me. I love reading your blog, it routinely makes me laugh loud enough to wake my husband from a sound sleep in the other room. Keep on doing what you do; I think you’re fabulous and that we would get along famously if we were ever to meet in real life.
great quote by another famous “wackjob”:
Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we’re being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I’m liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That’s what’s insane about it.
John Lennon
SO TRUE Bananas. I posted about my depression last week and I had a number of emails saying ‘I feel JUST like this’ and ‘I could never say this on a blog’ It was surprising.
I do not like the words “mental illness.” It makes it sound like you are sick just for being you. We definitely need to come up with a better term that more aptly describes our fabulous minds!
..you save me on a daily basis. Anxiety and depression are what I look like, amongst other masks…..
Thank you for being so brave….and I love that you weren’t wearing pants!
So, I usually can’t comment because I am reading on my iPod with a wee one attached to my breast.
But right now I am actually sitting at my computer and he is ASLEEP! (shh…it may not last). So, I need to comment.
I have anxiety too. And depression. And issues with food, and a whole host of other issues. I am so glad that you have written and vlogged about it in the way you have. I know that many bloggers, including myself, have written about their struggles with mental illness. The more we talk, the less of a stigma there will be about it, and the more easily it will be accepted, talked about, and dealt with.
I love you girl.
This year in my English class, we had to write a slam poem. Mine was about my struggle with anxiety. Writing it was easy, the words flowed and came naturally, but when it was time to read it out loud to the class, I was nervous. It was a big step, to admit something like this. But I did it, and I did it wonderfully, and everyone loved it. It didn’t get me a slow clap or anything like that, but a lot of people came up to me and told me how much it meant to them, that they had something similar or that they knew how I felt. It was probably one of the most amazing experiences ever, not only because I won first place for my poem, but also because I had made a difference. My English class was a lot more open, and we talked about topics like that. Opening up and speaking up really does wonders, as scary as it might be.
Brittany, you are a wonderful face for the pain and suffering and REALITY of mental illness. I, too, have a disabling anxiety disorder, with a little PTSD and ADD to add to the fun. Somehow, I have always managed to be a proud and honest mentally ill person. I am happy to share with people and always willing to listen and offer encouragement for people suffering with their illness. I have been through more medications than I can even remember. A few years ago, I saw a wonderful psychiatrist that finally got it right. I’m on a maintenance medication and always have a back-up supply of Xanax for the really tough days. I’m 33, a mom of two amazing kids, a wife, and am graduating from nursing school in December. Bet you’ll never guess what my field of choice will be in nursing?! Mental illness! Thank you for sharing with all of us. You’re fucking amazing!
You know, I wanted to say something Friday, but I didn’t know what to say.
There is a lovely lady in my family who is very open about her anxiety issues. The second she’s out of sight, everyone is talking about her and how “crazy” she is. Why would I want to invite that on myself, too? After all, what people are saying about me is a major source of my anxiety. What are they whispering and not saying? We’re good if you tell me I suck, but if I’m left wondering what you think…oh my god! I obsess and hyperventilate and obsess some more.
But, I don’t know why I don’t talk to my husband. He would be supportive. Maybe I just don’t know what to say. Maybe I’m subconsciously afraid he wouldn’t truly understand, and he’d wonder about my ability to truly take care of our kids, because the way I think isn’t always what you’d call rational. Then again, maybe my reasons for not talking with him aren’t rational.
Thank you for talking about it, and for giving me the occasion to really think through what I should be doing.
As someone who is beginning her Master’s Degree to become a Mental Health Counselor, I soooo appreciate this post and the previous post as well! You are so right that mental health is a topic that should be discussed more. I have anxiety and was diagnosed with PMDD as well. My doc put me on an antidepressant and I told him, I am NOT depressed unless it is the day before and the day of and the day after the first day of my period! The rest of the month, I am anxious. I hated the meds. My husband literally thought I was having an affair because I was not at all interested in sex. He really thought I was thinking about anything but him in bed and yes, many times, I was making a mental shopping list or thinking about other things. I had NO drive. And I had just as many anxiety attacks! I went off the meds and my doc put me on Xanax as needed. Now, when I turn into Anxious Bitch From Hell, I take a Xanax and start to calm down. I wish everyone realized that anxiety does not equal depression! Anywhooooo…thank you for opening up to us about what you are going through. It takes a lot of courage to do that in front of a trusted friend that you know and I know it takes even more guts to do that to an internet world full of compassionate and some not-so-compassionate strangers. Personally, I don’t think there IS such at thing as NORMAL. Everyone in the world has their THING and anyone who can’t see that in themselves needs to look a little closer with open eyes, mind and heart. You are beautiful! You have a beautiful face, a beautiful body, a beautiful mind (based on what you have shared with us), a beautiful heart (sooooo obvious in your posts) and all of your experiences make you who you are today. You are not ignoring it by any means, but you are not allowing it to bring you down either. Thanks again for helping other people to recognize that mental health is just as important as physical health. If we can talk about our vaginal dryness, we should be able to talk about our emotional and mental well-being! =))
I love you. Thanks. I’m an anxious mess with ocd tendencies. God bless good psychiatrists and loving family and friends.
I went on Lexapro when I was 19. Before that it was day after day of “What’s wrong with me” and “Jesus, why can’t I pick out a pair of socks without panting and feeling dizzy”. Because my brain chemistry is fucked up, that’s why! Being told to calm down or not be such a worrier didn’t do half as much as a therapist saying “Maybe it’s anxiety.” Lots of people think that the news was bad or that I was crushed after being told that I’m more crazy than I realized. Nope; I was relieved. Because I can get better with a pill and talking in a safe place to a certified professional. Cancer, AIDS, dementia, etc do not have that option. I count us lucky in the grand scheme of things.
There is a lot of clinical depression in my family and among my friends. I was horrendously depressed when I was pregnant with my first child, and I’m terrified of that happening again, or developing postpartum depression with our second child. For three years, my husband has suggested (on a fairly frequent basis) that I get on something mild for my crippling anxiety and mood swings. I’ve always felt like that would make me look weak and defective.
I just wanted to thank you so much for speaking out about this, and for all of the other readers who spoke about their experiences as well. I don’t feel weak and defective anymore, and maybe this will finally get me to talk to someone about my anxiety.
fun fact: I don’t have pants on either. Wait, did I just say that out loud? Funny the things we’re willing to say… and the things we aren’t. Thanks.
The stigma of mental illness makes me batty. Would we tell a diabetic “suck it up”? Suggest to someone with MS that if they just counted their blessings, their MS would go away? Of course not, that would be terrifically insensitive. Yet I can nearly guarantee that any of us (myself included) that have lived with any degree of mental illness has heard the above and worse.
It’s a chemical imbalance. Sometimes it’s genetic, sometimes environmental, sometimes situational. It doesn’t matter “why”, only that is is. If I have a chemical imbalance in my vag, I get a yeast infection. If I have a chemical imbalance in my head, I have some degree of mental illness.
Yes, I’m a proponent of medication, just as I am a proponent of chemotherapy for a cancer patient. I realize that people can and do function well, but I also know how easily it can tip the other way.
Also, and I just have to say this, but just as some people can be too harsh and too judgemental, there is definitely such a thing as being too blase about it. I’m not suggesting ANYONE IS, I’m just saying that we have to be careful with comments that go either way. As the original post mentioned, mental illness CAN be a life threatening disease and often times the victim isn’t able to see when that balance has been tipped. Friends and family that can give it to you straight can save lives.
Wow, this was a very rambly post. Also, way off topic, I have tried to duplicate the Brittnay-Braid in my bangs and am a miserable failure.
I started having debilitating panic attacks in high school, followed by bouts of depression throughout my life. I just recently had my 11 yo son put on anti anxiety meds because I saw the signs in him that my mom missed in me so long ago. I felt like a horrible mom “drugging him up” but this is the first time in 4 years that I have seen the wonderful, loving, confident son I never thought he would be again.
We’ve never met, but I frickin’ love you right now. Thank you for the post, I thought it was great. And thank you for the video too. People do need to talk about mental illness. It’s not something to be ashamed of. It shouldn’t be kept in a closet. It’s not contagious. It’s not the end of the world. It doesn’t look or feel the same to each person. And it’s not easy for loved ones to deal with. But it is real. And we shouldn’t be ashamed of it. I have anxiety, and panic attacks, and sometimes agoraphobia. And I am not ashamed to talk about it. Because I hope to conquer it, and I hope I can help others conquer theirs. THANK YOU for being brave and talking about it.
I have suffered with anxiety and depression (i am also ADHD with mild OCD) since the age of 11, I will be 28 in october, and only recently have I truly acknowledged my issues, Ive been in therapy Ive been on medication, but never truly got that it was a serious issue. I was also diagnosed with post partum after I had my daughter in september, I was supposed to be medicated but ended up pregnant again, I now am diagnosed with Pre-Post Partum (I had no idea this even exsisted) my second daughter is due in October, so the fear of severe post partum is looming over my head, and my anxiety is at an all time high. I am calling a new therapist tomorrow as a matter of fact to TRY to nip this in the bud a bit. People would have NO idea that anything was even “wrong” with me, (I suppose Ive learned to hide it) until I say “me too” and then they are shocked to learn Ive been dealing with it, for over a decade. Its a sad reality, but a real one. Mental Illness dosent mean I fling poop, or talk to myself (even though i have the best conversations with myself at times).
Did you ever read Rage Against the Mashugena (sp??) by danny evans? he used to have the blog “Dad Gone Mad” its about being a male with depression, great read, very informative and after reading it, is when I realized that this IS a serious issue, and I dont have to struggle and suffer every day, or be afraid to be alone with my daughter, or go some where alone. Im thrilled more people are coming out and saying “ME TOO!” its the only way we will take the stigma off of mental illness, and I think more people will acknowledge that they too may suffer from some form as well. Most of America does anyway! HOW CAN WE NOT!?
We all need to stand together, and fight it.. it has to be a group effort you cant beat it alone. And denying there is a problem, is only setting us all up for failure, its like losing weight you CANT do it alone, you may lose some of the weight, but I bet more than half of us will gain it back with out the support of everyone, this includes strangers! We need eachother, because we arent alone but anxiety and depression… you SWEAR you are alone… Thanks for talking about it!!!!!!!!!!! More people need to stand up and say “ME TOO!” with out feeling ashamed.
Oh you! You made me tear up! Of course it could be the tears I wasn’t able to shed while trying to be strong for my son who collided with the neighbor’s kid while riding his bike and his head bounced (yes bounced) off of the driveway. I wanted to cry but I had to be strong for him so these could be those tears OR they could be b/c I still think you’re a blessing in my life and your other reader’s lives for saying what we either couldn’t or wouldn’t say and you hit the nail on the head when you said our image of mental illness is skewed. It is and until more people talk about it I think it will always be. Sad but true I think. So you keep spilling your guts, I’ll keep reading, and I’ll keep laughing and thinking: OMG why don’t I have a blog so I could’ve said that b/c that’s EXACTLY how I feel too! Or EXACTLY what I thought too (only not as funny:)!!
Thanks for the message. I posted more light-hearted, but honestly, from my office (er, bed) this morning on your previous posr, but seeing your video makes it seem more real. I’m in a decent, crazy place right now….but I’ve always joked that I “thrive on chaos”. I’m 29 (for the 4th time), have 4 kids, and write my piddly blog mostly as a record of history for my kids, and so they can explain to their grandkids one day why their grandmother acted the way she did.
I don’t wanna say I’ve always been funny (and my husband would comment “yeah, funny-lookin’), but throughout childhood, high school, college, and now my more *hack* mature years, I’ve generally been the funny, happy-go-lucky one of my friends who says to myself “Quit acting like a damn girl. No time for crying. Be sad for 5 minutes and get over it.” A few months ago though, after my husband got his meds all straightened out, I realized I hated him just as much as I did before he was on the meds. Then I figured out it was me. ;) Again. Damnit all to hell.
I’ve never been one for suicide, not that I know anyone who is….but there were days in June where I actually thought of walking out to the pond, and just keep on walking ’til the water washed everything away. Friends always say to me “Man, I just don’t know how you do it! I’d be institutionalized if I were you!” I always laughed it off…..but it got to the point where it wasn’t even funny to me anymore. I figured I’d end up dead and “they’d” say “Oh, but she always acted like it was funny. Making jokes about it. Writing about it. Etc.”
I’d been on meds post-pregnancies before, and it’s been 2.5 years since my last baby. Fortunately my shop has been *permanently* closed*. I was reluctant to get on any meds, again, because often I’ve had the same results as you mentioned. They made things better, to a point, but didn’t make me FEEL better.
Fortunately I found one about a month ago….and I swear I could tell a *major* difference in 2 days. Things are finally getting back to the normal sort’a chaos I actually enjoy bitching about. The same things don’t work for different people, and I wish you luck, happiness, and your own brand of crazy that I love reading about. The following statement is said in the most loving way, even if it doesn’t ‘sound’ exactly loving….lol….but I’m glad to know I’m not the only nut-job out there.
I do not know what you are going through, because I have no personal experience with any type of illness…but I’m here for you none the less!! XOXO
I totally couldn’t tell that you had pants on. I didn’t when I watched it. Does that count? I don’t have anxiety. My mental illness is just that I’m crazy. Or maybe it’s schizophrenic. Or both. My husband says I’m crazy. And my characters talk to me all the time, screaming at me to write about them. Narcissistic freaks that they are. If you want to see what my crazy looks like, you can go look at my facebook photos. I look pretty normal too. Who knew?
Seriously though – I’m glad that your post has given you such a feeling of empowerment. That’s always a good thing. And if you can use it to help others while making you feel better about it as well, then that’s awesome. It makes me sad that it’s such a taboo subject for people too. My son has diagnosed major depressive disorder and we only found out because I caught him cutting himself and he had to spend a week in an institution because we were afraid to bring him home, not knowing whether this was a cutting thing or an attempted suicide. He was 15 at the time and so embarrassed about the whole situation that he ended up attending virtual school the following year because kids at school were talking about him. If it wasn’t given the rep that it is, maybe he would have talked to us about how he was feeling and we could have taken him to counseling or something before he felt like he had to go to such extreme measures.
To know that so many people feel the same (but in their own way) as I do, makes me sad. It seems like so many more of us suffer from some form of mental illness and it makes me wonder if it has always been like this, but we just hear about it more as the stigma of mental illness is slowly removed and people feel more comfortable speaking about it? Or is society getting worse as a whole? I wonder what the figures are now, compared to say 20 – 50 years ago. If it is worse than before, why? Is it because we are more stressed out from all of lives pressures? Is it because we haven’t evolved enough for our minds process our new roles of sitting on our asses at a desk all day instead of being outside hunting and gathering? These are the things that run through my silly mind on a regular basis, when it’s not occupied trying to diagnose my next imagined illness.
My family doesn’t “believe” in mental illness. Which is super ridiculous because it runs pretty rampant in our gene pool. I am so thankful for people like you, and the internet as a whole, for allowing me to have a voice about The Crazy (Bipolar II complicated by anxiety) without saying “that’s not real, you’re just looking for attention.” You rock. Thank you.
I watched this with my bottle of Lorazepam. Or “Pammy” as I like to call her. She’s my buddy. And you should enjoy a good internet video with a buddy.
Thanks Brittany.
Brittany,
I loved your post. I am the mother of the wacky Amber Doty of The Daily Doty.com. She talks about your page a lot and I read it sometimes. When I read your post for friday I quickly scrolled down to look for my daughters comment and found NONE..sadly. She and I discuss medicate vs. do not medicate frequently. My dad (I use that term loosely, was schizophrenic and on and off his meds). I myself on and off. While on your post I saw an ad which led to another ad and was soon caught in whirlwind of mental health stuff ..where I landed not unlike the wicked witch in oz at a ‘test’ for all types of mental health disorders. Which I took and pasted the link to Amber in a need to prove she is indeed more mentally challenged than I. She wrote me back to let me know NO she was not lying and only scored moderate in a few and high in the antisocial category. Then I promtly wrote her back to say I DID lie and scored LOW in all categories I just wanted to have her tested. (Just between u and me I was moderate to high in all). My family tree is mostly medicated. So what?…I have been in charge of the logistics of 5000 soldiers during war time and have 5 medals. I maintained multi-million dollars in equipment for the government during desert storm.I amnow a manager in a health care facility where we employ 13 employees and produce 1.5 million a yr. WANT to see the face of Mental illness look around…we are your co-workers, family and neighbors. Thanks for talking about it!! Knowing about all the other crazies keeps us all warm and fuzzy.
I love you.
I think we’re all crazy.
I’ve been sick for four years as of tomorrow (Happy sucky anniversary to me!) and the doctors still don’t know what’s wrong with me. Could be lupus/rheumatoid arthritis/undifferentiated connective tissue disease/scleroderma. Because of the constant back and forth with doctors and them not being able to figure anything out or help me, I’ve become totally afraid of them. Like, hyperventilate and can’t walk through the ER doors even though my tongue is swollen and I’m broken out in hives because turns out I’m allergic to this medicine afraid. And people think I’m crazy for avoiding doctors.
“You should go to the doctor. They’ll help you.” – Friend who is a crazy cat lady
“Yeah, I agree with Mayo Clinic’s findings, you probably do have scleroderma, but there’s no medications you can try. And also, even if you lose all the weight, you’ll never feel better.” – Totally fucked up doctor
See? Everyone is crazy. Just different kinds of crazy. So I’m gonna rock my special shade of crazy. You look pretty in your shade too.
Brava! Thanks for your openness and honesty regarding this difficult subject. I have some family members who struggle with mental illness. With raising mental illness rates in this country (anxiety, adhd, depression, etc) especially among children I can’t help but wonder if our food has something to do with it…? Lots of love from Colorado.
Kudos to you for talking about this! And also, not wearing pants is a regular occurence around my house….kind of awkward when the UPS man comes…