“My life is far more interesting than I ever hoped.” —Casandra Ricks
I am open about my life—to a fault—because I feel it is the only way to truly connect with each other and to alleviate stigma.
I’m a real person and I have experienced the following:
I am open about my life—to a fault—because I feel it is the only way to truly connect with each other and to alleviate stigma.
I’m a real person and I have experienced the following:
- Divorced
- Mother of 3, ranging from adult to child
- Mother of a child with special needs, intellectual disability, autism, and self-harm
- Mother of children with mental health concerns, including anxiety and schizophrenia
- Fibromyalgia
- Bipolar I (mood disorder ranging between highs of mania and hypomania and lows of depression and anxiety)
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Increased libido that has been out of control during mania's
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Suicidal thoughts
- Was Overweight due to Compulsive Eating from medications; Lost 70 pounds then gained it back
- Psychiatric Hospitalizations (I even wrote a song about it)
- Compulsive Shopping and Spending during mania's
- Mania cycles with risky behavior (Compulsive Spending, Increased Libido.) These ruined my life but I picked up the pieces.
- Mood problems (Rapid Cycling and Mixed Cycling)
- Perfectionism (I make a point to be imperfect now)
- Miscarriage
- Marital problems
- Financial problems
- Spiritual problems (had a spiritual blackout for almost three years)
Isn’t that enough? Yes, I’m writing a memoir. ;)
