My story and my mission

Before I share my mission and how the idea of creating this blog formed, I want to start by sharing my mental health journey and how it played a significant role throughout my life. As a child, I was raised around family members who struggled with alcoholism, depression, and bipolar disorder. My introduction to poor mental illness did not stop there. I started having symptoms of poor mental health at a young age due to childhood trauma. It wasn’t until the age of 13 that I was clinically diagnosed with depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. Throughout my teenage years, I thought that “being depressed” and having constant anxiety defined all that I was as a person. So I created an identity based on my diagnosis and started to live in a reality where there was “normal” and then there was me. A reality where I viewed myself as unworthy and incapable of connecting with others. 

While therapy did help ease my way out of that reality I found myself revisiting it after being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) in early adulthood. But this time around with therapy, DBT, journaling, and lifestyle changes I realized that poor mental health was not an identity but an experience. I became aware of how our perception of past experiences can impact our current behavior. How emotions, thoughts, and actions affect our mental health and vice versa. how our relationship with the environment and perception of life challenges can be useful tools for building resilience/coping strategies. These realizations created a sense of control over my mental health and well-being. This was the beginning of creating a new reality for myself. A reality where it was okay not to be okay. A reality where I can be optimistic about the future and know that I deserve whatever good things life has to offer regardless of a diagnosis.

As I opened myself up to this new reality I became fueled by a passion for expanding my knowledge of mental health and supporting others along their journey. So I educated myself on various mental health topics, had conversations with people who struggle with maintaining their mental health, and watched content created by people with Dissociative identity disorder, eating disorders, schizophrenia, etc. The more I learned from other’s struggles, the more passionate I became to share my story and support others along their journey. And so the idea of this blog was formed. My mission is to shine a light on the idea that mental illness/poor mental health does not make anyone less than or incapable. That mental health is more than clinical diagnosis but about maintaining your overall well being. This blog is more than just a blog, it is a safe space that brings awareness and where people feel heard, are encouraged to heal, and be empowered to become the best version of themselves. So whether you are here to destigmatize, learn, grow, for tips, resources, support, or to share your story, I welcome you into this space. A safe space for wellness was created for YOU!

-Jasmine Bonilla