I'm just an ordinary person, trying to live with the twists and turns on life's path and there have been plenty of those! I've had a lifelong argument with my inner self. The two of me are the one who hides the depression, anxiety, self loathing and sometimes crippling doubt and social awkwardness and the one who argues that mental health problems are not something to be ignored and hidden through shame. Ater a traumatic family period I lost the plot somewhat suffering severe post natel depression, death of a loved one, my child living elsewhere for a while and a divorce. An abusive marriage followed, along with a close brush with death a few times including a brain injury in my late 30s has left lasting physical and mental challenges along with chronic pain and stress. As a parent now of older kids and a teen, married to a spouse on the autistic spectrum (although undiagnosed) I've got a fairly wide outlook on life. I've had psychiatric treatment on and off for years since my teens but I feel that there are ways now to keep myself better informed, maybe that will help me help myself more, understand myself a little better and hopefully find a friendly face or two on the way? View all posts by pilgrimnow