me and some disclaimers
my name is sean.
i’m going to talk about my mental illness.
this is not going to be a self-help blog, but it will be honest. i am in no position to judge or to offer good advice.
i’m just going to keep writing until i’m done. until i feel like i’ve shared everything i can.
and then we’ll see. maybe it will make things better, maybe my life will be a little more tolerable. maybe it will all blow up in my face.
warning: almost every entry on here is going to contain triggers for such issues as self-harm, alcohol/drug addiction, suicidal behaviors, deep deep depression, eating disorders, etc. please read at your own risk.
there are so many people who suffer with this. if you are lucky, you find that right medication(s) that makes life manageable. you go on and have (at least) semi-normal relationships, a much sunnier disposition, and you play fetch with your golden retriever in the commercial while the sun sets behind you.
or you stand in line with me and millions of other people.
a few things first:
1. I have every intention of being as honest as i can be, while still respecting that there are people who are close to me that might read this. and it wouldn’t be fair to discuss them without their consent. some names, dates, events, etc. will be changed for that reason, but do know that ANY feeling i put out there is completely accurate. if i find another way to convey it, that will happen. but just know that the feelings, the guilt, the dreams, the hallucinations, and the delusions are all real. please don’t bother any of my friends or family with any of this. they have endured and continue to endure way more than they should. i will answer any questions you ask, so feel free to comment on here or email me. also, if there’s something specific you want to hear about, let me know. no turning back now.
2. i have written about some of this in the past, but always under the safety of a fictional character. this is not going to be easy to read, just as it is not going to be easy to talk about. but in the spirit of honesty, there may be things on here that cause alarm. if it does, please talk to me first. sometimes i just say shit in my head, and sometimes it sounds a lot worse if someone else were to hear it. after so long, and after so many years of knowing what was safe and not safe to talk about with others, i might say things as i vent. i wouldn’t make a serious threat on here as far as my health goes, so please don’t send any paramedics to my house without talking to me first. thanks. 
3. i realize there is a certain amount of responsibility that i take by saying this stuff. i am in no way advocating ANY of the choices i have made when it comes to coping with this disease. i am in NO WAY advocating anything that will harm anybody. everyone deals with things in their own way, and this is/was mine. hopefully by reading this you might gain some insight that might help you understand/deal with your husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, friend, family member a little better. if so, wonderful. it would be nice to know that i didn’t go through all of this for nothing.
that’s it.
thanks for reading.
so glad u r speaking out for yourself and for the rest of us out in the abyss around who feel alone in our suffering, alone in our brain illnesses and bothered by stigma. keep on.
Thank you so much for reading. I will definitely keep going.
Thank you for sharing your illness. Education is the key. Those who do not live it first hand have a hell of a time understanding.
Hi there, I know I’m really slow in doing this, but I’d like to thank you for the blog subscription. That really meant a lot. Although on the other hand, I think people are crazy (really crazy!) to do it.
Take care,
PA
according to the doctors, i am kind of fucking crazy.
so i guess it works out.
haha, me too.
Sometimes I think it is hell, but as of late, I am thinking normal would be so fuckin boring.
thanks for your contribution to reducing stigma – I agree with everything you said above. I think people need to understand how things feel for us “at the time” and the only way to do it is be honest. I am looking forward to your posts. If anything I’ve learnt by blogging myself and reading others blogs, it’s that we are not alone!!
-MMH
It’s a very brave thing – putting it out there. Here’s one thing I can promise. You won’t be alone with this. You won’t have people that blow you off and dismiss your emotions. There is a huge community of people who are dedicated to helping each other.
I’m not sure any of us go on to playing catch with the golden retriever with the sky high in the air. Eff those commercials. They really make me angry. Especially the one about the bathrobe and the woman. A pill and even a plethora of pills will never make this go away, even if it can just make it better.
I’m not going to spout about how it will get better, because I can’t promise you that. I can’t promise you anything except that we’re here. And your voice counts.
thank you so much for reading, luna.
those commercials are so misleading, and they actually make things worse, as i have people thinking that i just need the right pills and everything will go away. you’re right about that.
and thank you for not trying to promise something that is impossible to promise. i have met so many amazing bloggers since i started doing this, and all of them are so brave and real. it’s been wonderful.
you have a great blog. i look forward to reading more.
Please, feel free to call me Lulu! I’m not sure how that nickname came to be, but it did. It’s fitting. Looney Lulu!
The wind-up doll one really ticked me off. I understood the symbolism, but I didn’t appreciate it. Before I started Wellbutrin, it wasn’t like a wind-up doll. It was like I was leaden, and becoming more so everyday. There was no winding me up. It didn’t get better.
And, it took a long time to stabilize after i got on Wellbutrin. It’s as if someone pulled me into a wall socket! And I yo-yoed around until they got my meds right.
The point is, even though I’m having a good run and my meds are keeping me stable, I probably won’t always be this way. More adjustments, more meds, monthy checks, the long drive to and from the office. Side effects, side effects. I’ve recently realized that I’m lucky to even remember my own name most days. Big pharma doesn’t want people to see the ugly parts.
This blogosphere is the most real thing I’ve ever been a part of. Oddly enough. Most of us are hiding behind psuedonyms, protected by fiberglass, plastic, and wires galore. But, people are honest, supportive, respectful, empathetic, and behave in a fashion every human should inspire to embody.
Thank you for adding me to your blog roll!! That is so cool…
I need to try to make one of those…lol…
well, you write one of my favorite blogs…so you definitely belong there.
Being able to talk about these things, withouth the glares and stares…well you never know what’s happening on the other side of the screen, but you know what I mean…can be therapeutic.
We tend to keep things bottled up as we have a feeling that no one around us understand us and mock us for our “silly” ways and “silly” ideas on life.
I am glad you decided to share, not only for your self but also for those who suffer the same fate.
hey, thank you so much for reading.
i’ve loved having the chance to read all these other blogs as it reminds me that there are so many of us going through this.
it helps me to hope that others might hold on to something they read here and that it might make their life a little easier.
I nominated you for Liebster blog award…
Check it out here: http://bipolarmuse.com/2012/02/10/liebster-blog-award-2/
Congrats!
I’ve passed you on a note. Please claim it here!: http://quietbpd.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/1093/
You’ve been tagged!! Receive your tag and pass it along here… http://quietbpd.wordpress.com/2012/03/25/lets-play-a-game/
Feel good,
The Quiet Borderline
http;//quietbpd.wordpress.com/
Hi. I can see you say this is not a self help blog but maybe by writing down all the crap you’re feeling will help, eventually, if only for you to see you’re not alone. Take care x
i appreciate it. maybe you are right. it helps to write stuff down, i just didn’t want to give people the impression that this is a place they could turn to for advice and cheering up.
but i’ve had people tell me that just by reading it has helped them realize that they aren’t alone, so that makes me happy.
take care, and thank you so much for reading.
Hi. mrscmonkey here. Just to say if you haven’t already noticed my blog is now http://www.mrscmonkey.com
If you still wish to follow my musings, come follow!
Ooh ooh aah aah, where’s my banana?
hahaha. following!
HI thank you so much for coming across lollipopsandrazorblades. I hope you enjoy the writing it is special to me. This is a private blog that no one in my personal life is aware of. With that said, welcome. It is nice to know someone is reading it. Enjoy it. I am following back.
Warmly
ApplejAxe
no worries. i appreciate you checking mine out, and i look forward to reading more from you. also, we share a blog theme, which is always awesome.
take care.
You are certainly not alone in your experiences. Best of wishes to you from me – Lynne in Liverpool, England.
thank you so much for reading, lynne!
please take care.
you’re very welcome!!! My pleasure!
You are in no way alone; and as someone said above, perhaps this blog will help you. I had no idea what to expect from writing about mental illness, but a year later I know it’s helped me enormously without even trying. I have never set out to help others but have done so accidentally, and perhaps you will do the same.
Well done on your honesty; the more people who speak out about mental illness, the more can be done to smash the stigma. I wish you all the luck in the world.
i thank you so much for reading.
the blog has already done exactly what you have said. when i first started i had the hope that it might, but didn’t expect much. the responses i received were wonderful, and positive and i realize that i do have the ability to help educate some on just how bad it can be.
i may never get better, but i can hope that others are able to.
thank you again for taking the time to comment. i really do appreciate it.
take care.