Personal Narrative: My Life With Mental Illness

Mental illness was something I never could comprehend. It was easy for me to disregard the idea because I couldn’t see it, until it became so prominent it my life. When I saw the daily struggle of people who suffer from mental illnesses, that's when my outlook evolved. My mom was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression at an early age. I was oblivious to how much she struggled with it, until my parents separated. Simple everyday things like getting out of bed in the morning, or even eating, became a challenge. The bipolar disorder made everything worse. My mom would have really good days, when she seemed to be the mom I once knew. But the good days made the bad ones so much harder. I never believed that a mental illness could control …show more content…
I remember sitting at a desk repeating, “Just focus Lauren, pay attention, it's not that difficult,” continuously in my head. I thought everyone struggled as much as I did, until I told my dad about it. We went to the doctor and I was diagnosed with ADHD. I was put on medication to help, and everything became so much easier. I wasn't fighting myself anymore and I started to accelerate in school. I'm not embarrassed of my disorder, and I find myself being energetic and outgoing because of it, but being able to control myself when needed is definitely beneficial. No one realized how hard I tried before, they all just assumed I didn't care about anything. I grew up seeing a different side of people that you wouldn't expect. Although growing up around such circumstances was difficult, it has allowed me to become the resilient, independent, and understanding person I am today. I am fortunate enough to have control of my life, my happiness, and my future, so I have pretty big ambitions for myself. Hard times define the person you are. You can sit back and feel sorry for yourself or you can allow the experience to shape you in a positive manner, and that's just what I