Kelsey
Kelsey
You aren’t alone
Know that you aren’t alone, even if it feels like it. Know that mental health challenges don’t have to limit what you can achieve, and it doesn’t reduce your worth as a person.
Since she was a young girl, Kelsey has faced mental health struggles. Although she began engaging in self-harm at the age of seven, her issues weren’t truly noticed until she was in her teens, when she attempted suicide and spent time in and out of psychiatric hospitals.
Fortunately, she started outpatient counseling at the age of 15 and has been receiving treatment ever since. She says that treatment has helped her better understand herself, to be more compassionate toward herself and others, and learn to live with uncomfortable feelings.
I have had a lot of my experiences validated through treatment. It’s very cathartic to sit across from somebody and be able to share your innermost thoughts and feelings.
It helps to not feel judged by a therapist or simply to hear from them that your pain is valid and real. In times of extreme crisis, treatment has kept me safe, in a very literal sense.
At 19, Kelsey was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. She experienced extreme mood swings and struggled with emotion regulation and self-identity. Easily bored and impulsive, Kelsey put herself into situations that were not healthy for her and often struggled with low self-esteem.
However, with her treatment and a strong will to take on her condition, Kelsey has achieved amazing things. She holds a master’s degree, has built a successful career in health care, and runs both half and full marathons.
Despite these successes, Kelsey is still fighting to make herself better—and she wants others to fight too.
So many people struggle, but I would encourage people to get the help anyway, in any fashion they can.
