Pru
I was originally diagnosed with a severe mental illness at the age of 25. I spent the next twelve years in and out of hospital. I was given ECT and a cocktail of drug treatment, before eventually being told that I was probably suffering from a bi-polar disorder, rather than my original diagnosis of schizophrenia. I found it hard to live with being told that I would probably never work again, and that "they might as well throw away the key".
I call these years my 'wilderness years'. During this time, I had about as many jobs as hot dinners. There was no support and no sympathy. If someone else phoned in sick with flu that was fine, but if I called in, I was told I was a malingerer. Employers would get impatient with me and I would end up unwell and back in hospital again. It's at times like these when you learn who your true friends are, that's for sure. I was called a 'nutter' and I heard people say 'What's wrong with her?' People passed me by in the street and friends who had young children wouldn't come to visit me.
With the support of my husband and family, I was determined to get through what I felt was a tangled web that I was unable to escape from. Once I had been correctly diagnosed, the medication I had been taking was stripped down and I began the process of re-building my confidence and my life. It wasn't easy and it took a long time, but I proved those people who thought I was on the scrap heap of life, wrong.
I have a clinical diagnosis; manic depression. My mental illness is called severe and enduring. It is controlled by medication. I also have a life and a job, and a fantastic marriage and supportive family and friends and, touch wood, I've not been ill for years. I firmly believe, that with the right support, anything is possible.
Do you have a personal story you would like to share?
Telling your story can help others feel less isolated and help raise awareness about a range of mental health issues. To find out more or to comment on any of the stories you've read here email: wellscotland@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Next story: Greig
