My Life and Mental Health

[EllieBurke]

Hi there,

My name is Ellie-Simone Burke. I am 27 years old. I am a single mother. My son is 6 years old. Me and his dad separated when he was 2. Me and his dad still get along pretty well. We are one of those families who can still sit around the table and have a meal together which is ideal for my son as he needs to see that we have a strong relationship despite the fact we are separated.

I got diagnosed which Depression by the time I am 15. In school and at home I had very low moods and no energy, no ambition, no focus, no aims and no goals in life. I felt like my life was not going anywhere. I felt lost, stuck, trapped, alone, isolated, ignored, left out and the odd one out. I was then diagnosed with Anxiety at 16. I started shutting myself away from the world. I did not want to handle life. I did not know how to think or cope anymore. I felt empty and numb. Then sometimes I felt the opposite. I felt everything. I felt to much, to the point where I could not cope with my emotions and thoughts. I was then diagnosed with Bipolar at 19. I just had my son and me and his dad was struggling to maintain our relationship. I was always back and forward to the doctors and hospital with my life problems and also OD'S and suicides. I did not know how to cope or feel anymore. I felt like my life had no purpose and I left like I could not go on in life feeling like this. Then to top it all off, at the age of 21, I was then diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. I was not sure how to feel about this. The pro's were that I finally understood why I was feeling like this. As I have a diagnosis, I can finally get the right help I need and start learning how to cope and manage in life. The con's were I felt like I was weird, the odd one and strange. I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I have been heard and listened to. I finally get the help I have been reaching out for. I have a social prescriber at the doctors. I speak to them on a weekly basis. I also get help from CPFT, CPSL and MIND. I am in groups and meetings. I get Anger Management, Making Connections, Peers Support, Hearing Voices and 1:1 meetings. I have learnt to finally cope, manage and understand my life, my emotions, my body, my relationships, my friends, my family and many more. I have learnt coping mechanisms and coping strategies. Yes, I still feel depressed, anxious, I still get negative thoughts and I still hear and see things but I have learnt how to deal with them and learnt on what makes me feel better and worse. I am doing so much better now and that's with the help of other people, family, friends, professionals, they have all helped and guided me and put me on the right path.

[bloomie]

Hi and welcome. What a long and difficult journey to help and hope you have been on. Thank you so much for sharing some of your story with the community. I would imagine your precious son gives you a great deal of incentive to keep working with the programs and professionals and making good progress.

Just to be sure you're in the right right place for support, Out of the FOG offers both a web site and a forum to support those dealing with someone in their lives who has a personality disorder. It might help to read through the Disorders section at the top of the website to learn more about what a personality disorder is - http://www.outofthefog.net/PD.html

Members are dealing with a lot of pain and chaos so we ask that the only posts you make here deal with someone in your own life who has a PD.

The Toolbox contains resources focused on your own healing and learning more effective ways to cope with having a loved-one or family member who suffers from a personality disorder. http://outofthefog.website/toolbox-intro/

There are numerous links under Resources that may lead you to more relevant web sites to discuss what you are going through personally and to find the support and encouragement that you need and deserve. http://www.outofthefog.net/Links.html

I wish you all the best on your journey to well-being.