Sylvia's Story...
26/11/07 21:32 Filed in: Consumers
I think I was really born the day I turned fifty. That was last year and my husband surprised me with an intimate and delightful party with some of my closest friends and family. I had never felt younger or stronger. When others bemoan the fact that life is passing them by, I can’t be sympathetic. Life for me is finally gentle and good. I don’t mean easy, but good. Don’t ask me if I’m happy. Ask me if I have finally reached a sense of joy. Happiness is fleeting; joy includes acceptance, courage and determination in the face of life’s adversities. It is joy I want to know and I dare say that after so many years of struggle, I may have finally caught a glimpse of it.
I was always the first to think there was something “wrong” with me. But I was terrified to find out if that was the case. Until I was finally diagnosed with Bipolar disorder at the age of 31, so much water had flowed under the bridge. It is a similar story to many affected by mental illness. It was a journey which included thousands of hours of therapy, fear, confusion, struggle and finding the “right” doctor, the “right” recipe to help you over the hurdle. I find consolation and courage in celebrating life, one day at a time. In sharing our stories, we plant one more set of footprints towards changing the course of understanding of mental illness.
Sylvia Smith
|