Please welcome first-time contributor Sonya Leon, a 20-something young professional living and working in Montana. Sonya was misdiagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder at the age of 22. She struggled to identify with this disorder, and after just a handful of visits with the psychiatrist she abandoned all hope of ever getting “better” and discontinued therapy. Less than a year later when things became unmanageable again, she visited a new psychologist who diagnosed her with depression and PTSD. She went through months of intensive EMDR therapy (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) that pushed her to her breaking point, but she refused to give up. Then one day she woke up (literally and figuratively) and life was somehow different. The EMDR therapy worked. She felt like a new person. The crippling fears she once dealt with on a daily basis had been tapered down to only a few episodes, here and there. She now manages her depression through relaxation exercises, practicing mindfulness, and photography.
About this photo: “This photograph was taken one morning after I had experienced a small episode. I stayed home from work, still exhausted and depressed, just wanting to be alone. I’ve become fairly accustomed to chugging down my tea among the normal hustle and bustle of the morning routine. But that morning I woke up slowly; sipped and savored each drink. In those few minutes, life seemed a little easier.“
Find more from Sonya at her blog.
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Broken Light Collective 
I really like the simplicity of this image: it manages to tell a lot with just a few things.
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Like the nail polish–really adds to the feel of comfort and also the narrative gap between broken and whole.
(I sometimes comment, by the way, on mental health issues and have included the brokenlightcollective link on one of those pages.
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Reblogged this on searchedafterfoundeverywhere and commented:
I like this photograph–and on my first visit to this blog site it captured the “broken light” theme, combining comfort with the ambiguity of the peeling nail polish. So much story here.
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A lovely photo. I follow Sonya’s blog: she is a superb photographer and writer. Her story is very, very inspirational.
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A great photo. Speaks volumes.
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I relate to your struggle of mis-diagnosis. After years of a dianosis of dysthymic disorder with bouts of major depression, a new doctor diagnosed me as bi-polar. I got horribly ill from all the meds that she prescribed. I finally started seeing someone else. My proper diagnosis is Major Depression and General Anxiety Disorder. I am as far from bi-polar as you can get – I am mostly depressed and always fatigued. I wouldn’t know a manic episode if it ran me over like a truck.
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I am glad you pressed on through all the mire! I was misdiagnosed with schizo-affective disorder before properly receiving a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome @ 19. My mom & I had to go through hell to see heaven. I almost didn’t make it through. I like the fact your nails are chipped in the photo. The tea looks so perfect and cozy. There is contrast. Welcome & keep sharing pictures. People aren’t allowed to be mean here.
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