As we grow older it is only natural that we self-identify with the people, experiences, interests, and activities that consume us.
Depending on how you spend your time you may consider yourself the outdoorsy type, a bookworm, a music junkie, a foodie, or perhaps a movie buff. I self-identify as a runner, dog lover, "sneakerhead" and golf enthusiast.
I am also someone who lives with a mental illness.
For most of my adult life that was not an easy statement to say (even harder to write), because of the stigma that often gets applied to having a mental illness. But part of removing that stigma is being honest, sharing, stepping forward and supporting others. There is no need to hide, and with May being mental health awareness month, no better time than now.
Like millions of others, I am someone who lives with an anxiety disorder, which is categorized as a mental disorder. A little over three years ago I was clinically diagnosed with having a generalized anxiety disorder, triggered by lifelong battle with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). It’s kind of like a one-two punch where one disorder fuels the other....
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