It is so interesting and amusing to me that more people who voted in this poll agree with this statement than disagree. It started out with the 'disagree' leading but we are ending with 'agree' on the lead. https://twitter.com/janiceiche/status/1247424285334999046

It is exciting to me to know that there are others who see their mental illness like I see mine. So here's to say that I agree with this statement. I'll try and put it in this thread why...

My illness did not begin at diagnosis. Diagnosis only gave me a term for an experience I have already been having all through my life.

It is upon diagnosis that I began discovering my illness constituted of a lot of the parts and characteristics of me/my personality that make me who I am. The way my illness manifests in/through me is just... me/my persona/personality.

For me, there are two sides to the coin. One where my identity is kind of compromised in that I am not sure who I am if a lot of who I am is my illness. But the other side presents a Universe of possibilities, in that I can be whoever and whatever I create of myself.

Thank you for engaging.
For those who agreed with the statement, what is your experience with your mental illness and do you relate to my experience? For those who disagreed, could you describe how separate you are from your mental illness?