Three Words Everyone With Mental Illness Should Know

2014_wspd_banner_englishToday is World Suicide Prevention Day.  In the United States, according to the CDC, suicide is the tenth leading cause of death.  In fact, one person dies of suicide every 13.3 minutes.   In honor of this day, I’m sharing an an article of mine that was published on the White House’s mental health blog.  I wrote about how I lost a friend to suicide at the age of 18, and how it led me to get a diagnosis of bipolar 2.   I also talk about what tools I use to maintain my mental health.  You can read my article here.

If you are in crisis, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

See Fashionably ill’s Top 10 mental health articles here:  http://jessicagimeno.com/?page_id=2491 

 –Your Stylist, Jessica Gimeno

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JessicaGimeno

Hi there! I am a patient advocate, writer, and public speaker most well known for my TEDx Talk, “How to Get Stuff Done When You Are Depressed.” As someone who is juggling 5 illnesses: bipolar 2, myasthenia gravis, endometriosis, psoriasis, and asthma, I’m passionate about helping people who navigate life with both chronic physical & emotional pain. If you’re interested in hiring me to speak at your event, check out the CONTACT tab.

2 thoughts on “Three Words Everyone With Mental Illness Should Know

  • September 11, 2014 at 1:52 am
    Permalink

    I found this website by accident, Ive been feeling hopeless lately. This is pretty random of me to leave a message on a blog, I usually don’t. I have bipolar one. Im 26 years old. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. But I want to say you are a strong person. Stronger than anyone I’ve ever met. I don’t know if your filipino, whether it matters or not but I am too. Im just babbling on. Its been a rough few years for me. Just wanted to drop a message. Going to bed soon, you know how it is with sleep and bipolar haha.

    Reply
    • October 8, 2014 at 9:08 pm
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      Hi Nathan,
      I’ve been giving your comments a lot of thought. I’ve been meaning to get back to you. I appreciate you bravely sharing part of your story. I did have a depressive day this week but most of the time, I feel “free” with regards to bipolar. Once upon a time, years ago, I felt hopeless constantly. I want you to know that it doesn’t have to be like that all the time. It often takes more than one tool to fight bipolar disorder–tomorrow I see my psychiatrist. It was a rough day yesterday–took me five hours to get out of bed! But I did it. I threw everything at the wall until something stuck–prayed, recited Bible verses, put my Rocky boxing gloves on, listened to Eye of the Tiger, watched some Pacquiao fights, opened up to friends (even if it was by text and private Facebook posts–I started a prayer circle, which is a closed group on Facebook), some friends prayed for me. I was able to exercise; the exercise releases endorphins and it’s always helped me fight depression. I felt victorious after doing it. Can you attend a support group, even if it’s online? I know some bipolar groups. Not sure if you have a therapist. Here’s a post I wrote on 5 tools I use for maintaining my sanity: http://jessicagimeno.com/?p=1181 (Oh, and yes, I am Filipino.)
      Hoping the best for you, Jessica

      Reply

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