Mental Disorders

I want to help and provide value to ones who suffer from mental and neurological disorders like myself. It is among the most challenging things that a human has to fight to combat and overcome each day. I hope my story can help educate, comfort, or heal in anyway whoever may read this.

The disorder that I have fought with for some 15 years now is called Dystonia. Originally, due to complications at birth, I have had a minor form of cerebral palsy. CP has effected only the right side of my body. It causes involuntary contractions of the muscles from my right hand and arm down through my leg and foot. This definitely caused me to have challenges and limitations to some extent but they were nothing compared to what I would face next.

When I was 13 I was diagnosed with Dystonia after realizing that sudden movements, noises, touches would cause my whole upper body to contract. People always thought they scared me because I would jump so much. Over time this got progressively worse and worse. I additionally would suffer from depression and severe anxiety in ways I hadn’t had to before.

Dystonia is a neurological disorder in part due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. Everything up there doesn’t work as it should and many with Dystonia have severe physical limitations in addition to the mental challenges. The first 10 years of having Dystonia I saw doctor after doctor and none really understood what I would explain to them about this condition. My parents couldn’t understand and still have no idea how much suffering mentally I have experienced.

I’m 27 now and over the last few years Dystonia has wrecked havoc on my mental health. The depression and anxiety have increased ten fold to the point I needed to seek medical help. The muscle contractions are not just on my right side like when I was young but they consume my entire body. Having no joy in life at all at times is how I’ve felt and to the point to being life threatening.

I am not relaying all of this so that you can feel sorry for me. I want people who have Dystonia and other neurological disorders to know that they are not alone. For the ones with better health, I want to educate you so that when you do come across someone with a neurological disorder, you can have a little better idea of what they suffer through each day.

I have so much love and compassion for people that suffer from health problems especially mental health problems. If there’s been one asset that having Dystonia has given me, it is more passion and understanding of others with limitations. Even if people have a totally different health problem than I do; I feel like I can understand their suffering more. I understand what they need and the kind of support that is necessary to help them every day. It is so so very important that every person strives to be humble and kind to others because we don’t know what others are suffering from.

I have had to learn to love myself, to do more for myself and to truly prioritize my mental health. It is so vitally important that we buy out time every day to do things that make us happy because happiness is harder to come by for us.

I wish all of you much love and happiness. Please recognize that mental disorders are very prevalent today and living with one is beyond difficult. I hope all of you strive to be humble, patient, kind, understanding and loving. With each other, we can help one another. 💛