Archive for Your Stories
‘Confessions from My Early Thirties’
by Maria Tumnus
I was working in an office for three years and I couldn’t hide anymore. They left me alone for a while, as I came from a different culture (Romania), my English wasn’t that good at the beginning and I didn’t want to speak with grammatical mistakes. I thought they appreciated my discreet personality and respected my non-interference in other people’s businesses. But as my English improved, I started to understand more and more, and one of their favourite topics was… me. Read More→
The author of this personal testimony has chosen to remain anonymous
I am a 41-year-old woman who was always very quiet in school – so much so that no one would think I had ADD like my brother.
My life was one of being bullied and having emotionally challenged parents. I was not cuddled much and we never talked about emotions, to the point that, after a 9-month waiting list, a psychologist ended up saying I was emotionally neglected. Yeah, like I didnt know that myself. Read More→
Trying to Be a Tourettic Doctor
by
Robaire Beckwith
Knowing what growing up with Tourette Syndrome was like, and remembering the difficulties with understanding the problems experienced as a child and what caused them, led me to finding ways I could help children with TS and other ‘special’ needs caused by neuro-developmental disorders. There was almost no useful advice or support available and I don’t believe things have moved on much now that I am an adult. Read More→
ADHD is not the joke everyone thinks it is – A Personal Testimonial
Posted by: Vrinda Pendred | Comments (4)By Andre Norris
I just want people to know that even though it has an awful name, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is actually a devastating neurological illness. It’s deeper than it seems. Read More→
I have Tourette’s & I’m an actor because of it! – A Personal Testimonial
Posted by: Vrinda Pendred | Comments (0)I have Tourette Syndrome and I’m an actor because of it!
by Chris Tauers
Acting and theatre specifically have meaning for me. Initially, theatre for me was an escape from TS that held me captive. When I act it leaves me inexplicably, it just goes away, and yet I can use the knowledge and experience of it to convey meaning and that allows acting complete freedom to take off inside me. The disorder switches off when I act or even when I visit a theatre! My ‘disorder’ is defied and replaced by theatre and acting. Read More→
As part of our ongoing effort to raise awareness about neurological conditions, we are always looking for new personal stories about your lives with these diagnoses.
These stories can be completely anonymous, if you wish, or you can provide your real name or even a made-up pen name.
You don’t have to be a ‘writer’ as such – we don’t mind if you don’t have perfect English; we just want what you have to say.
We do not believe in judging others, and everyone involved in the website has been diagnosed with multiple related neurological conditions themselves.
All we want is your personal testimonials to be listed in the ‘Your Stories’ section of our website. We’ve already had so much positive feedback from the stories posted so far – they have helped others feel less alone with their symptoms, inspired people to think of themselves and their diagnoses a bit differently, and taught us all about the truth behind such conditions.
No story will be censored – these conditions often come with dark and disturbing elements, so if you feel you can’t tell your story without these, they will definitely be included on our website.
We believe the world needs to be made aware of the seriousness of such diagnoses – we want to remove the stigma in speaking out about them, but also help stop people making jokes about them.
Please do click the ‘Your Stories’ tab at the top of this page to look at what others have written.
To share your testimonial, just click the ‘Contact’ tab and write your story in the body of the message. If you’d like to remain anonymous, please list your email address as ‘anonymous@anon.com’ and give your name as ‘Anonymous’.
We hope to hear from you soon!
Vrinda, Sharon, Jennifer and Lynn
Conditional Publications
Don’t forget to get your copy of Check Mates: A Collection of Fiction, Poetry and Artwork about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, by People with OCD – on Amazon and Amazon Kindle
I’ll never forget the day my life took a major twist. I was only six when the obsessions began. I was far too young to comprehend the complex nature of the disorder I suffered from. I wasn’t aware I’d be forced into a gory, lonely world – my Whinnie-the-Pooh and Little Mermaid thoughts would soon be overtaken by a plague of terrible thoughts. But I can still trace back the day where I was forced to mature well beyond my years as I tackled with the horrible, gruesome images my imagination painted for me.
Schizophrenia: Missing Reality
By Katherine Walters
NOTE: This story contains brief sexual and violent references that some people might find upsetting – though the outcome is inspiring. We aim to be honest here, so we have included the story in full. Please only read if you feel comfortable with this sort of material.
I am 35 yrs old. I have been diaganosed with Major Depression since I was 21. I spent my 21st birthday in the hospital. Most days I can handle it well. But when something changes too much in my life, it’s hard for me to deal with that.
BY TRACY MELLOR
I was always a moody child. My mother would diplomatically explain it away as having an “artistic temperament”, as I used to enjoy drawing, painting, and music. When I became a teenager prone to extremely depressed moods and suicidal thoughts, they were blamed on the ups and downs of adolescence. No one ever thought to take me to a psychiatrist, and all was swept under the rug. You see, I grew up in a household where the “stiff upper lip” was the norm, and mental illness was certainly nothing that was ever discussed.
