Your Stories

While these are the top five ways to help a friend with schizophrenia, it's important to remember that support should be tailored to their individual needs and preferences.

I’ve come to realise that even small improvements can make a significant difference immediately. 

You won’t feel like this forever. You may not feel better in one night, but you WILL feel better eventually.

Together, let’s break the silence, challenge the stigma and offer hope to those facing similar struggles.

You don’t need to try harder to earn your worth or value because as you are, right now, that’s all that matters.

Tell yourself you will have a good day because you are stronger than you think. 

We will make it back to shore. We might fall off our board along the way, but we will survive.

It required courage to confront these invisible adversaries and seek help, but it was a pivotal moment in my journey to wellness.

The outcomes of going through with the scary situations are good.

Small step by small step, you are walking towards your horizon.

I cannot say enough how much of an impact they have had on my life, my health and my well-being.

So, to anyone who has OCD, it’s never ‘bad enough’ to not seek recovery.  You just need to find the right tools to help you fight.

You never know what the person next to you has experienced.

Change can be good, it can grow and shape you to be the best version of you. Change can teach us to be resilient and adaptable.

At times, you may feel like giving up or wishing you could go back but once you reach the light, you will be so glad that you kept going.

All of you shared so many wonderful things that we wanted to share them with you.

I’m not saying it’s easy or that once you are in a good place you will stay there but there is always hope.

This is not the same. That was there. This is here.

What changed was having my support network guide me. I leaned on them as they did to me too, and we got each other through it.

I know change is hard and scary, but it’s something we all experience. 

We’re sharing some of these in the hopes that you may also find them hopeful and help you through challenging times.

Maybe write some affirmations on a sticky note and stick them where you’ll see them!

Ask yourself, ‘Is this in alignment with the quality of life I want?’

Enjoy your day as much as possible. Spend time with those you love.

You can still live a rich and meaningful life. You can find things to hold on for.

There’s so much to learn and discover, so much I’ve not tasted or touched, and I get to be excited by that prospect.

We are all far from the perfect standard, remember that when, like me, you find yourself triggered by someone else's comment.

Today is a great opportunity to keep fighting. You’re one day closer to winning your battle.

Because I reached out, I didn’t get to the point of experiencing thoughts of suicide and self-harm.

There are so many possible things. And in one day!

This is how I learned, and is why you should not listen to what your mental illnesses are telling you.

If you know anyone who suffers from BPD and experiences ruminating thoughts, please understand it's not their fault, and they can't “just stop thinking about it."

One sentence of vulnerability could be all it takes to feel a little lighter.

Maybe you’re a bit like me. Swinging between winter and summer, let me encourage you to find spring within it all.

And I will continue saying it even after you start believing. Because it’s SO true. You matter. I matter.

Every time I think, ‘I can’t be bothered,’ I remember how future Lauren will feel knowing there is less to do.

I had to keep pushing forward to help encourage others to see their value too.

It’s incredibly easy to feel like you are an issue or a burden but being diagnosed is meant to do the opposite.

While truth-seeking does have its advantages, this need for the truth can also be a double-edged sword for individuals with BPD.

Take a moment to appreciate that all your hard work has led you to where you are now.

Go to the mirror. See who’s staring right back at you? They’re beautiful.

I sit with my anxiety when I remember how I can’t control the future.

These negative thoughts perpetuate negative thinking and can cause an individual with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) to spiral.

As soon as we turn from a victim to a survivor, life changes.

I always want to know the why behind something, so I can understand why specific reactions happened and because I believe that knowledge is power.

After all that doubt, a mental health professional had worked wonders.

Your future may look very different to mine, but it is just as valid and real.

It gave me hope to see others that have struggled but made it through.