Personal Narrative: Caitlin

It is strange when people tell you that mental illnesses are not real. They say “it is all in your head,” and to “stop overreacting because it is not real.” Personally, I think that mental illnesses change you as a person, especially if you can get over the illness. My cousin, Caitlin, was diagnosed with bipolar depression and struggled greatly to get over it, but when she did her whole life changed. Caitlin’s bipolar depression affected me infinitely because from being my mother’s flower girl when she was young, to playing with me when I was bored at family events, when she probably did not want to, she holds a special spot in my family and mine’s heart.
I always looked up to Caitlin, she was always the “cool older cousin,” to me. I anticipated …show more content…
Her hair was dyed carelessly, and she had bold make-up on, something she has never had before. She was wearing a loose, bright yellow shirt and white pants, probably to distract from the fact that she was extremely thin. She told me how different things were for her. She said that she was always tired, and she was sick of feeling this way. She told me stories of her time in the care facility and how much she struggled, and how she hopes that time will hear her.
What happened to Caitlin caused me to look at people differently. I used to hear of people with mental illnesses like Caitlin’s and I used to think something was wrong with them. I thought they were different than everyone else. Now I realise that they are just good people stuck in horrific situations.
When I hear of people struggling with mental illnesses, I feel genuinely sorry because I know that they could be doing amazing things, but a little glitch in their brain is telling them not to. Realizing people, like Caitlin, are able to get better, and overcome their illness is something amazing. I have noticed from Caitlin’s experience that no matter how hard the situation gets, there is always a way to come back from