Let me take a moment to give you a bit of background about myself and the reason why I am starting this blog.  I am a wife, mother to four young boys, and psychiatric nurse who also happens to live with bipolar disorder.  I was diagnosed back when I was 19 and am 38 now so I’ve been managing this condition for about 20 years now.  Up until a couple of months ago it was all a secret.  Only my husband and a select few other friends and family members knew about my diagnosis.  However, suffering in silence and alone finally ended for me when I decided to come out and publicly share with all that I have this condition.  I thought about it for months after I began to feel more and more like a hypocrite for working in the mental health field and preaching to my patients and family members about ending the stigma and normalizing mental health care – yet here I was living in silence and shame with the same condition for which many of my patients were seeking treatment.  I summoned all my courage despite receiving advice not to go forward with my decision (which I obviously ignored), and wrote a post on my personal blog simply titled ‘Bipolar,’ which I will share with you all on Mercurial Mind.  The response was outstanding.  I received nothing but love, positivity, and encouragement.  From there, I saw a real need to speak out and connect with others who may also be suffering in silence.  I’m trying to build a community of people who need a safe place to be seen, heard, and share their truths.  It’s time to walk the talk and make a change in the way the world views mental health – one step, one voice at a time. 

I will be as open and honest with you all as possible in spite of my natural tendency to smile and say ‘Everything’s great.’ Transparency will be the name of the game and I have no doubt that you’ll see that personal struggle play out here.  But at the end of the day I am here, motivated only by my desire to connect and uplift.  So without further ado, welcome to Mercurial Mind!