Discussion What were you like before you became mentally ill?

[UninformedLover]

I have retained some qualities of my old self but when I was young, before I became extremely depressed and devolped an anxiety disorder I was a happy albeit shy,well behaved kid. I was also very smart and had a passion for reading and learning new things. I loved to read about dinosaurs,space and greek mythology. I was a very promising kid with high hopes for my future.

What about y'all?

 

[pole]

joyful, happy and filled with laughter. always laughing and smiling, and not having a single thing to worry and stress about.

 

[angele]

I don't know. I think I was born depressed. Or at least my memory fogs any remnants of a happy childhood. I've been like this as long as I can remember. I think that's the main reason "recovery" has been a failure for me, how am I supposed to create a personality and future and goals for myself when I never existed in the first place?

 

[freefrommybody]

I've had bouts of depression and suicidal thoughts since around age 6 or so, so I'm throwing my memory back a while. I guess I was happy, energetic, somewhat sassy, and more social. I just didn't worry about all the muck that torments me now. At ages 3-4 I remember being really enthusiastic about starting school. Family members also say that I talked a lot more back then, and ask me why I'm so quiet now.

 

[Saroshi]

Productive. Creative.

 

[TearyEyedQueen]

I was a happy child who saw the beauty in everything. Summer used to be my favourite season and now I hate it. I had a bit of an overreactive imagination. I remember playing with my ex best friends. I was always shy but with them I would talk non-stop. I drew a lot. I liked playing outside. Even when things were dark, I had hope...

 

[StillWaiting]

I am someone who didn't do any interesting things which is one of the reason why I became depressed. Everyone around me are achieving goals or doing well while I didn't bother to try anything and now I am left behind

 

[JustHeckinKillMe]

Funny. Confident. Sociable. Positive.

 

[passenger27]

I used to actually like to wake up in the morning.

 

[Hexen]

Used to be a really really happy person.

 

[Final Escape]

I've been mentally ill since childhood because the traumas happened so early with attachment. Sure I was slightly more high functioning when younger bc I was younger but I was still in lots of pain and struggling.

 

[MeltingHeart]

Quite carefree in some ways (though anxiety around money issues and down due to being v.unfufilled at work), happy-go-lucky, fun, funny, interesting & interested in so many things, excited by culture, busy, sociable, talkative, seaching mind, something of a free-spirit.

 

[develish]

Outgoing, happy, naive, always smiling

 

[takeyourshotfunboy]

I was a really joyful, bouncy kid. Very observant of the world around me. Always chatting and laughing.

 

[Sideswipe]

I think I was always ill looking back. Never smiled as a baby or child/adolescent. Always had strange thoughts and was a pyromaniac

 

[Wayfaerer]

I was physically active and social. My life may as well have ended at 12.

 

[PDAnnie2610]

Wanted to ctb since 12, anxious since 6.

 

[fruitbats]

I was so motivated and so good at school, and I had hobbies like art and music, everyone loved me and thought I was great. It kinda sucks because now it's just faking the same shit I used to be and failing lol

 

[Skathon]

...not being born.

 

[Taki]

Before I was mentally ill I was nine years old.

 

[CuriousAboutThis]

Kind hearted, quiet, and shy.

Only talkative to those who were nice to me, but there were times when I was ugly based off of the negative side of my personality like moody but with what have happened in my past due to my own choices and being the fall guy and letting other people control my life has now become kind of an endless meme of what has happened and how I snapped on myself and those around me who helped raise me help destroy me other than the fact I destroyed myself but I am at the point in my life where I can still make things potentially better.

 

[Help_Me]

I was mental since the day of birth. BPD always follows me each step of my so-called "life". So I can't remember the times I was healthy. Maybe everything was a bit better, but I was shy even in childhood and In bad moods..

 

[Green Destiny]

If I had to guess I used to be happy and ok with life around middle school to my Jr year at High School. Then things became stressful and anxiety riddled around senior year before I started thinking about suicide, I didn't consider suicide seriously just thought about it. And the more I thought the more I started to take the option seriously. Growing up I loved history and I was obsessed about learning about the Titanic (The actual ship not the movie haha) and WWII. Now those things just don't interest me like they used to.

 

[azucaramargo]

I was a happy child who saw the beauty in everything. Summer used to be my favourite season and now I hate it. I had a bit of an overreactive imagination. I remember playing with my ex best friends. I was always shy but with them I would talk non-stop. I drew a lot. I liked playing outside. Even when things were dark, I had hope...

You have many happy times ahead of you, TEQ.