I started to like myself a lot more as I got older. I am age 41.

When I was a child I was bullied and teased incessantly about my complexion. I had light brown relatives and relatives that were dark in coloring. I didn’t have weight problems as a child but I was a little husky. When I started high school a few months into my freshman year in high school I got my first period. I lost some weight. After years of poor nutrition and weight gain on psych meds I lost fifty pounds and feel somewhat better. I would like to take off some more weight but not that much more. I want to lose 100 pounds from my heaviest weight. I lost forty or more pounds eating vegetarian lunches and dinners. I like myself. I got a few new clothing items online. I feel pretty good. I have a difficult illness that is hard for me. I take my meds though. I am not a superwoman. I need to make sure I take all of my medication to be at my best. I don’t think people should be ashamed if they have a mental illness. I volunteer for NAMI and have for years. I value my role as a client at a mental health agency. People want to be able to reintegrate into society and not be stigmatized because of their mental illness.