So this was the moment that changed everything…
I’m putting my 10 year old son to bed and we are listening to the radio. A commercial comes on for “Stop Stigma Sacramento”, it’s an organization that informs and educates people about mental illness.
My son turns to me and says,
“Mom, no offense and I don’t mean anything bad by this, but I think you might be mentally ill.”
Cue the tears from me.
“I’m just saying Mom, that you really seem depressed a lot of the time.”
Cue sobbing.
“Oh… please don’t cry Mom! It’s okay, really! My Doctor can help you (he’s seeing a psychiatrist to deal with his ADD with neurofeedback brain retraining). I know he can, look at how much he helped me.”
And that’s when I saw a psychiatrist.
All of these years I had been seeing physicians, being told I have S.A.D., being put on antidepressants, which made me want to commit suicide. Light boxes that never really worked, vitamin D which never truly fixed the problem. Finally being told that I’m bipolar made so much sense. All I can say is this: you don’t go to a dentist to fix a broken arm, why would you see a physician for mental illness issues?

PS- I have an exceptional son.