Confidence

@HungryAlpaca This is awesome! Hearing other people tell their stories definitely helps to improve my confidence as well. It helps to know that you're not alone in what you're going through. Seeing celebrities talk about their mental health experiences is a big deal. Demi Lovato spoke at the NAMI National Convention a few years ago and it was really powerful to see the impact she had, expecially on other young adults.

The more we can talk about mental health, the more we can normalize it and make it less of a scary or taboo topic.

Thanks for this thread.

When I was about 6 years old, I discoevered that my dad was diagosned with Bipolar disorder. It was difficult for me to understand and acce[t because I was so young in age. It took me a long time to accept his condition because I simply did not know nor understand. Today, my father is living with his condition and he has accepted it and so have I. He is my inspiration to study in this feild.

Hearing other people share their stories has encouraged me to share my story as well. For example, attending the NAMI convention was a great way to connect with people and hear their stories, it was very powerful and inspiring. This inpiration encourages me to do the same!

When I first told my close friends about my mental health condition, I was suprised to learn that a few of them have similar conditions. Knowing that they were going through the same thing as I was made it so much easier to talk to them. Now we are able to talk openly about how we are feeling.

@HungryAlpaca Something that has really helped me is this quote from a podcast I listen to in the morning called "Conversations with Yoga Girl".

" There is nothing you can't do if you trust that life will take you where you need to be."

The unknown is a big part of my anxiety, so this quote really helpful. It helped me.