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Cat's story: Living with premenstrual dysphoric disorder

I have lived with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) since I was 13, but I was only diagnosed at 27. For over 10 years I had been diagnosed as depressed and in and out of community mental health departments. After stopping the Pill and having a baby aged 21, my hormones went crazy and I suffered pre- and postnatal depression. In the years that followed I began noticing a pattern to my moods and depression. At times, I thought I really was severely mentally ill. I always had PMS, but I realised that my worst times happened when I was due on my period. My PMS was so severe that it had begun...

Kayla's story: Living with borderline personality disorder

If I were to tell you that I had an illness that affected only 2% of the population, and which killed 1 in 10 of those who had it, what would your reaction be? And how would that reaction change when I told you that it was a mental illness known as borderline personality disorder (BPD)? BPD is one of the most stigmatised and misunderstood mental health conditions and its devastating effect can be found in a thousand untold stories by those who live with it, those who exist in a world where no matter how loudly they scream, no-one seems to hear their voice. In 2007, I was pulled out of a lake...

Karen's story: Overcoming depression with exercise

I'm a dance fitness instructor and I just love it! I have a great range of people come to my classes from all walks of life, all ages, and of all abilities. Many people have told me how much they have lost weight and felt better since taking classes. But dance isn't just about fitness and losing weight, it can also help mentally as well as physically. A few years ago I was, like many others, struggling with money, work and my physical health (I have carpal tunnel syndrome and Raynaud's disease) and my depression started to rear its head again. My depression first started many years ago after...

Connor's Story: Overcoming Depression

Depression has impacted my life hugely. I am 18 and depression has defined my teenage years, relationships with people, and has pushed me to make decisions that were in themselves life changing. I've attempted suicide twice and engaged in self-harm. Depression took over my life to the extent that I dropped out of school and I stopped socialising. I first felt âdifferentâ when I was 14 years old, but it wasn't until I was moving from year 11 to year 12 at school until both my family and I noticed that I was depressed. My school referred me to my GP who then referred me to the NHS CAMHS...

Sarah's Story: Living with Agoraphobia and Panic Attacks

I first remember things changing when I was 18 years old. I was at work and I had a falling out with a boyfriend and felt like I couldn't breathe. My hands filled with pins and needles and as I stood up to get some fresh air, I passed out. I also hyperventilated: something that I had never experienced before. I was taken to hospital to be checked out but I was fine. A couple of months later, I passed out again, this time in a department store when I was just walking around. A few years later, my social life started to become affected. I'd be going out to meet friends, get to their house to...

Sitara's story: living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

When I was younger I heard of PTSD for the first time in a History classroom where the teacher described it as shell shock. I remember seeing a picture of a gaunt figure lying in bed. I wondered at the time what he had been through in the trenches that make him feel like that. I never thought I would have experienced something like that in my wildest dreams. My name is Sitara and I am 22, I am currently living in Bristol. I drink tea, sing, knit and am training to be a secondary school teacher. I also suffer from PTSD, depression and anxiety. I am recovering but recovery is never meant to be...

John's story: stand-up comedy has helped me with my depression

John explains how stand-up comedy helped him turn his life around after a long battle with depression.

Paul's story: Living with perfectionism and depression

My name's Paul and I'm a recovering perfectionist. I am also recovering from depression. The two are connected. I'd been trying to do too much, too well, trying to please too many people, expecting too much of myself for too long, putting too much pressure on myself, creating too much stress. That's a lot of âtoo muches' for one person. My self-esteem took a battering, I stopped looking forward to anything and I felt like I was useless and hopeless. This might sound like my depression was my fault but however cruel I have been to myself over the last few years I'm not going to start blaming...

Liz's story: Living with bipolar

I didn't have any history of mental ill health until 2002, when I had depression and was prescribed Prozac. A year later, a series of events led me to become manic and psychotic: my relationship ended, I moved house, I experienced bullying at work for four years, was promoted and I needed to have my nose reconstructed following a sporting injury. I became 'hyper' but initially neither me nor my friends thought that anything was wrong as I had always been very lively and active. My boss realised that something was wrong and called my parents in order to take me to the doctors. At this time, my...

Claire's story: overcoming severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder

I was diagnosed with severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder after being raped shortly after my 16th birthday. I have struggled with self-harm ever since, taken numerous overdoses and had many hospital admissions. I had buried the pain so deep inside and felt so ashamed that I despised myself and destroyed my body. In January this year, out of the blue, I received a phone call telling me the person who raped me had been accused again of the same crime on someone else. I decided I had to go forward - I needed to do what I should've done so long ago and I thought it would ease my...