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“I Talked”…………. Talking is a sign of Strength!!

Here in the Please Talk blog section, we hand over to you; hear from students, who, like many of us, have first hand experience of going through a hard time, reaching out for help and starting their conversation about mental health. If you wish to become a contributor, contact [email protected]

My name is Shannon, I’m 21 and a second year student here in A.I.T. I never thought I’d end up in hospital due to having a mental illness. It wasn’t somewhere I thought I would end up, but at least by going into hospital I could begin my recovery. This was all down to me finally admitting that I needed help. I have always been about being strong for my family and anyone else I’ve loved or love now. Finally when I admitted I needed help, it gave me the time that I needed to focus on myself. I could finally give myself the time and strength I needed to heal. This was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Recently I’ve been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, and if I’m honest it all makes a lot more sense now as I understand myself a lot better. The constant mood swings, the impulsivity, the depression, it is all extremely difficult to deal with, as struggling with a mental illness can be horrible. I’ve had all the feelings associated with mental illness; the chronic anxiety and paranoid thoughts. It was only when I came forward to seek help that I found ways to deal with them properly.

I feel there needs to be more help out there for people who are suffering with a mental illness. I am sharing my story in the hope that someone will see my story and see how I have found ways to cope and live a great life once I came forward to seek help.

Having the right support group around you and having someone to talk too really helps. You are not alone, there is always someone to talk too and for people reading my story, I want you to know that it’s never too late to find the light with mental illness. At 21 I’m only beginning to find mine.

 If you need support please checkout the following links;

www.pleasetalk.org

www.yourmentalhealth.ie

Or you can call the following;