Substance Use Disorders | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA

Not Really a Rebel

by Cynthia Kipp

November 19, 2009

I have suffered from social anxiety disorder since I was about 10 years old, or about 34 years. I was a very intelligent child, but when teachers noticed a difference in me, I started trying to be invisible. Social situations, including school, were torture. I bulldozed my way through life, including dabbling in alcohol and substance abuse for relief of my anxiety and depression. I find it very interesting that the disorder is marked by a morbid fear of authority figures. And here I thought I was just being a rebel!

Honoring the Person I Am

by K. Waheed

November 19, 2009

I am a middle-aged woman, married with two children. I was diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at age 25. I am grateful to say that I have had tremendous support, terrific professional help, a strong will to recover, and a resolve to do whatever work necessary to overcome all of my trauma. Other miraculous help has been my spiritual beliefs and practices.

Grateful For Today

by Bryce Mackie

April 3, 2024

My goal is to destigmatize the topics of mental health and addiction and to create awareness so that people suffering can ask for help, know they are not alone, and realize there is always hope.

I Loved My Dad So Much

by Cara Bean

March 4, 2024

As a kid, mental health was a confusing mystery that no adult that I knew addressed with me. Coping skills, stress, anxiety, depression, and substance use all seemed like things to figure out on my own or with kids my own age who knew little more than I did.

The Ebbs and Flows of My Mental Health Disorders

by Paige Kimball

November 23, 2023

Getting sick was both sudden and gradual. The timeline of my mental health disorder, or rather disorders because I endured several, was so erratic, waxing and waning, often corresponding to a momentous event in my life or the birth of one of my children or the death of a loved one.

Making a Lifelong Illness “Life Long”

by John Rossi

November 22, 2023

Far too young, I used to dream about a place I could go where I wouldn’t have to worry. To know that there was a place you could go if you struggled with “mental problems”.

Saving Myself to Find A Version of Happiness

by Gordon Fraser

September 9, 2023

“As traumatized children, we always dreamed that someone would come and save us. We never dreamed that it would, in fact, be ourselves as adults.” – Alice Little

One-on-One Peer Support

State

Virtual

A Police Officer's Poor Coping Strategies

by Adam Meyers

January 9, 2023

There are many different coping strategies people may use after experiencing trauma. They may be good and healthy, or they may be bad and unhealthy. My coping strategies were bad, unhealthy, self-destructive, and dangerous.

Mental Health Strong

State

Virtual

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