Where to begin.... I'll try to stay on target with this post but bear with me.
I find myself on the SANE forums to learn more about mental health issues, and those that are suffering from them. I do this because of my own experiences in life with mental illness, from loved ones and within myself.
I have never been to a psychiatrist, or any therapist for that matter, therefore I have no idea whether or not I would be clinically diagnosed with a mental illness.
That being said, I believe I have experienced (and continue to fight) depression. Primarily this was during a three year period after dropping out of college, breaking up with an ex, and my home family environment crumbling. during this period I had no direction or plan for my life and was very lost, just working a physical labor job 6 days a week and feeling hopeless.
Luckily, I was able to pull myself out of this period without any professional help. This happened when I got a job in a school as an entry-level tech support. It made me feel like I had a purpose, and a potential career path to follow. After a few months, however, I felt my depression and "lost" feeling creeping back in. This time I was saved by taking an initiative to finally change my lifestyle and get healthier (I had always been overweight). This quest led me to the entrepreneurial path, meditation, and my current dream to become a self-sufficient entrepreneur.
I have been clinging to this goal in my life ever since (~1-2 years since the 3 years of depression). Obviously, this path in life is not very easy, and there are a lot of road bumps and challenges to overcome. I feel that every day is like rolling the dice, one day I'm super motivated and can see my goals clearly and focus on WHY I am working every day, and others just getting out of bed can be a challenge.
I have considered talking to a therapist before, but I am also afraid. I don't want to learn that I DO indeed have a diagnosis, and certainly have no interest in ever taking medication even if I did. I consider myself lucky that I found the path I am currently on and have been able to manage my shifting motivation through meditation.
Back to the beginning, I am here to learn more about mental illness, as one of my entrepreneurial dreams is to develop a meditation class (or book, havent decided on the best format yet) that helps people find the tactics that work for them to take back control of their life without having to rely on a medication that is still not even understood very well by science.
To make the best product possible with the most potential to help people, I need to deeply understand the people I aim to help. Although I hesitate to call myself one of them (without any diagnosis) and fear confirming that reality, I do believe I have SOME understanding of what it is like to live with a mental illness. I still have MUCH to learn however.
I'm not really sure what I want in response to this post, I guess just any thoughts or opinions that come to mind while reading this.
I am happy to be a part of the community and look forward to learning and interacting with all of you! Together we can defeat the stigma against mental illness and help each other find what allows us to live our best lives!
Thank you for your time,
Jordan
