Cristina Fender, diagnosed with Bipolar I in 2006, is a wife and a mother raising two young girls in Texas.  Her oldest is six going on thirteen and is obsessed with Twilight. Her youngest is two going on zero since she prefers to be the baby of the family and is currently refusing to use the potty like a big girl. Cristina spends most of her time chasing around kids and picking up after them while dealing with bipolar symptoms. This award-winning blog, Bipolar Vida, features a journal of her life and how bipolar effects how she lives her life. 

For Anne A. Johnson Davis, the physical, sexual, and psychological abuse started at the age of 3 and continued on until she was 17 years old.  She was tortured by her parents, relatives and other cult members -- all in the name of Satan.  The details of this satanic ritual abuse (SRA), as well as her recovery, are laid out in her book.

My name is Douglas Cootey. I’m a 42 year old stay-at-home dad on disability and I have had ADHD all my life. When I was three weeks old, if a parent placed a finger in both of my hands I would brace my legs against them and stand up. My head would flop around, but up I’d be. Performing this trick for my pediatrician introduced my parents to the world of ADHD in the 60s. Back then, it was referred to as hyperkinesis. By third grade, I was taking ritalin daily except weekends to help me in my studies. Before that, I had spent large amounts of time banished to the library room for wiggling in class.

Like most psychiatric disorders, Adult ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) doesn't travel alone.  As HealthyPlace Medical Director, Dr. Harry Croft, mentions in this week's blog post, many adults with ADHD also suffer with depression, substance abuse and other conditions.

My name is Kenneth Burchfiel (not to be confused with my dad, who is also Kenneth Burchfiel). I'm 18 years old, and a student at Middlebury College in Vermont. It's difficult for me to say when scrupulosity, or religious obsessions and compulsions, first appeared. On Christmas 2007, I received a book with a modernist take on Christianity and the gospels; that seemed to spark an intense period of doubt, searching and longing for answers.

At some time or another, we all worry that we've done something wrong and there's going to be a price to pay. For most of us, we deal with it and move on. Those suffering with scrupulosity, however, are obsessed about religious or moral issues and experience intense, painful guilt.

Stopping compulsive overeating isn't as simple as just saying you'll quit. As HealthyPlace.com Medical Director, Dr. Harry Croft explains in this week's blog post, there's a significant emotional component to compulsive overeating.

As you probably already know, our guest for last Tuesday's show on Mental Illness in the Family had some technical difficulty. The show will air live, this Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 5:30p CT, 6:30p ET. You can read Rebecca's post: My Daughter’s Mental Illness Has Turned My World Upside Down

Whether it's a mental or physical illness, it's natural to concentrate on the person who has the illness. Many forget that family members and loved ones are also suffering. The impact of mental illness on families comes in the forms of grief, denial, frustration, exhaustion, and stigma.

Hello. My name is Rebecca. I am writing in response to the article I just saw on the HealthyPlace website about living with DID. I am a 33 year old mother of 3 little girls and have spent the past 2 years watching my oldest daughter completely fall apart. I watched her go from being a normal, albeit extremely emotional, little girl to not even knowing which parts of her life are based in reality and what is happening in a reality that exists only within her own head.