2rulesofwriting.com published a short essay of mine on sleep and mental illness. Mental illness isn’t a dirty word. Nearly 1 in 4 adults living in the US will be diagnosed with a mental illness in their lifetime. Not all of them are lifelong, and many of them can be managed. But because of stigma surrounding mental illness, many don’t seek treatment until it’s destroyed their lives, if at all. So I wrote this piece in the hopes that, if I share my story, it will help others feel less alone.

If you or a loved one are suffering, there are resources to help. You can call 988 in the US to reach someone to talk to. You can also reach out to The Trevor Project if you are a queer youth, and nami.org has resources to get you in touch with professionals that are trained to help people who need it.