Monday, August 27, 2018

STORY OF HOPE!


STORY OF HOPE 
My name is Stephanie Anne Allen, and I am the new, quickly emerging author of My Mental Madness Memoir and the entire How to Survive Series.  I am also a NAMI Connections peer support group facilitator.  I am very content, and I feel successful and that my life has purpose and worth.  I am grateful for my life.  But it wasn’t always this way.  I came from a long journey of very difficult battles with mental illness.

I was first diagnosed with depression at age 14.  At that time, there was a horrible stigma attached to mental illness.  I didn’t want to be any part of it.  I was not “crazy”.   I remember growing up thinking I was bad and I felt ashamed for being depressed.  But it was obvious to everyone, whether “crazy” of not, I was definitely sick.  I suffered from helplessness, hopelessness, unworthiness, suicidal thoughts/attempts, and self-mutilation, among other symptoms.

A few years later, I was labeled as a manic depressive.  I would suffer racing thoughts, impulsive decisions, risky behaviors, and insomnia.  That diagnosis soon became a dual diagnosis, when I was defined as a borderline personality patient.  I had difficulties making and keeping friends.  I was cutting and burning myself.

A few years after that, I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and then schizophrenia. I was suffering from intense delusions and hallucinations of all five senses. 

Mental illness has impacted my life in many ways.  I lost friends, relationships, jobs, cars, homes, and even my own freedom.  But despite all the pain, all the heartache, all the adversity, I was able to beat all the given odds by finding the courage, strength, faith, and hope to overcome it all.

I have been in treatment since I was a teenager, but unfortunately treatment is not always effective with every patient.  There are so many different medications out there, and so many of them wouldn’t work on me or had horrible side effects.  Today, there are a lot of new psychotherapies available that simply did not exist when I was a child.  And then there’s that stigma again that causes people to feel guilt and shame for seeking treatment for an illness that is not their fault.

I have had several turning points and many downfalls in my life.  But the last turning point was definitely the most life-changing.  After committing a crime when I was insane, I took a look at myself and studied my thoughts and behaviors and attempted to adjust what needed to be changed.  After being incarcerated at a state hospital for 18 months, you better have gotten some insight and introspection into yourself.  But I believe the turning point for everyone can be different.  For some it may be almost losing your life to suicide or some other major incident that causes a person to reflect on his/her own thought processes.

My own personal treatment consisted of medications and psychotherapy.  Finding the right meds is surely a trial and error thing.  But at age 36, I was finally stabilized.  I would much rather take a pill or two a day, than suffer the pain and heartache and unrest I had when I was sick.  The meds keep me stable and help me to live a better life.

Currently, I am doing great!  I am working on correcting all my mistakes, and picking up all the pieces.  It’s not easy, but it’s what I feel needs to be done.  I have now found my purpose in life and that is to inspire as many people as possible.  If my story saves just one life (and it has) then my life truly has value, purpose, and worth.

If I had not suffered…If I had not been in mental pain and agony…If I had not learned how to endure…I would not be who I am today.  I have gained much compassion, empathy, understanding, and wisdom.  The pain shaped me into who I am today. 
I will continue taking my medications exactly as prescribed.  I will seek help immediately if I feel in crisis (hopefully never again).   The sooner you catch the problem, the sooner you can receive treatment, and the sooner you will feel better.
I am involved in mental health advocacy.  I am a NAMI Connections peer support group facilitator.  I am also the author of seven books on conquering mental illness…one memoir and six self-help books.
·        My Mental Madness Memoir—the provocative true journey through my struggles with mental illness
·        How to Survive Depression
·        How to Survive Bipolar Disorder
·        How to Survive Schizophrenia
·        How to Survive Anxiety
·        How to Survive Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
·        How to Survive PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder)

Also, I am all over social media with positive uplifting and inspirational posts on overcoming mental illness!  You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Goodreads, Amazon, Google +, Lyf, Pinterest, and I even post on NAMI.  I also have a mental health blog.  Feel free to check me out on any of those…
Mailing list:  http://eepurl.com/dd5jYj

MY MESSAGE TO THOSE WORKING ON THEIR RECOVERY FROM MENTAL ILLNESS
Life isn’t easy, and when you have mental illness that has a huge impact on your every day living.   You may feel lost.  You may feel alone.  You may feel that no one cares.  But I want you to know that YOU are worth fighting for.   YOU are worth getting well.  YOU have value and worth and your goal in life is to find your purpose, and work diligently towards fulfilling it.  You have a reason to be alive.  The hardest part is finding it.  But once you do, you will be so glad you did. First you need to recover so that you work towards finding that purpose.  Don’t listen to the stigma.  Listen to your heart.  Your heart definitely wants and needs to be well again.  Have enough self-love and faith in yourself to seek out the proper help you may need.   You don’t have to go it alone.  And once you get that treatment and recover, you will be so happy that you began your journey of recovery in the first place.  Never give up… as YOUR LIFE awaits you.




Friday, August 24, 2018

TURNING THE HORROR OF MENTAL ILLNESS INTO POSITIVITY & INSPIRATION


Turning the Horror of Mental Illness into Positivity and Inspiration

OBJECTIVE
My pen name is Stephanie Anne Allen, and I am writing this post to bring hope and inspiration to all those with mental illness.  I want to be a prime example of how you can not only survive the greatest of adversities, but you can also thrive.  You can turn the pain into something very positive and productive.

MY STORY
I’ve been diagnosed with many different mental illnesses over the years. They include depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, borderline personality disorder, and an anxiety disorder.  The psychiatrists tried nearly every medication available out there on me.  Most medications didn’t work and the ones that did, had bad side effects.  I struggled for years and tried endlessly to make sense of my own existence.  I was in and out of psych hospitals all my life.  I tried to commit suicide several times and was addicted to self-mutilation.  All I wanted and longed for was death.  There just seemed to be no hope out there, and I felt like no one even cared about me.  I felt totally lonely and ashamed for having “mental problems”. 
When I was manic, I had racing thoughts, impulsive and risky behaviors, and I had delusions of grandeur.  I had major trouble sleeping and had an excess amount of energy.  My moods shifting rapidly from one extreme to the other—up and down, just like a roller coaster.
When I was psychotic, I suffered from delusions of all sorts and from hallucinations of all 5 senses.  I thought I was the “savior of medical science”.  I even believed at one point that I was the “second-coming of Christ”.  I saw, felt, tasted, heard, and smelled things that weren’t really there.  I believed I was going to be killed and raped by perpetrators, and this lasted from 2005 to 2016.  Can you even imagine living for the fear of your safety and your very life for 11 years?  Not easy.
Anyways, having mental illness caused me to lose everything accept my own life!  I lost friendships, relationships, jobs, cars, homes, and even my freedom at several points.  I committed a crime due to my insanity, and while being locked up I got my life back together.

HOW I TURNED MY LIFE AROUND
It was not easy, but I managed to go from rock bottom all the way to the top.  I found the courage, strength, faith, and hope I needed to overcome the greatest of odds.
I realized finally, while incarcerated, that I indeed was mentally ill and that it was nothing to be ashamed of.  The doctors stabilized me on meds and I was able to get the therapeutic treatment I needed.  I learned about what causes me to get to that point of psychosis.  Stress was a key!  So, I now know I cannot stress myself out.  I have to do things at my own pace.  I have learned coping skills for when I feel stressed.  I gained much insight into my mental illness and how I can “deal” effectively with the symptoms as they present themselves.
I realized that I am not alone.  I am a worthwhile person with purpose who deserves dignity and respect.  I am on this Earth for a reason.   The greatest love of all is self-love.  Never give up!  Everything happens for a reason.  Never lose faith and hope!

MY LIFE TODAY
Today, I am 39-years-old, but I have the wisdom of an 80 year old woman.  After being released from the state hospital, I have written seven books in under two years.  One memoir and six self-help books. 
My Mental Madness Memoir is a deep look into my mind.  You can learn my whole life story in depth and clarity.  It is a very emotion-provoking book.  The reader is taken on a journey through the insanity.  Readers can take full participation into the author’s thoughts and feelings.  It is quite unique, because I hide absolutely nothing.  This is an extremely real, one-of-a-kind, page-turning book.  You will see me at my very best and feel my joy, but you will also feel my pain and see how I persevered through it all.
I have also written the How to Survive Series.  Out currently are ones on depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, and PTSD.  These powerful self-help books offer the reader insight and inspiration.  They provide hope and tips on how to effectively cope.
I have inspired hundreds of people through these books!  I love that I am now very happy and have found my calling and purpose in this life.   Without all the pain and adversity, I would have never accomplished that.  I would not be the person I am today.  I have gained a great deal more compassion, love, empathy, understanding, and wisdom. 
I did suffer, and I suffered terribly, but I turned it all around and now I am using the pain for the benefit of those who are going through all that I have.  I have made a great life from a very rocky foundation.  But I did it.  And you can too! You can become and do anything you want in your life.  The opportunities are endless.  Make your life one that will never be forgotten!

About the author
Stephanie Anne Allen is the quickly emerging author of My Mental Madness Memoir, How to Survive Depression, How to Survive Bipolar Disorder, How to Survive Schizophrenia, How to Survive Anxiety, How to Survive Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), and How to Survive PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder).  She holds a BA in clinical psychology and is a former case manager for the mentally ill.  She also has a lifetime of personal experience with mental illness. Ms. Allen is also a NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) peer support group facilitator.


Stephanie Anne Allen's Amazon Author Page:  www.amazon.com/author/allenstephanie

Thursday, August 23, 2018

EMOTION PROVOKING BOOK BLURB from MY MENTAL MADNESS MEMOIR!


The world was merciless to my well thought out conceptualizations of the many and varied delusions that I was affected by.  The hallucinations, I was also suffering from, only caused me to perceive more validity in my delusions.  Despite my persuasive efforts to convince everyone that what I thought was utterly true, they all had other beliefs about what was really going on in my complicated world.
I knew that I had to do something.  I had to make some sort of move to escape my personal pain.  I concluded that all I could do was embrace my true identity.  I couldn’t see any other options.  I knew that I didn’t want to die and go to Hell.  I had to accept the fact that God was in control, not me.   But it was very difficult to understand how and why God would make me the second-coming of Christ.  All I wanted to do was run and hide, but I couldn’t, because there is no place you can hide from God.
The delusion that I was Christ was just one of all the many myths that the voices told me were true.  God was speaking to me, and I had no doubt in my mind that what I was hearing was indeed, His voice.  I also had the ability to speak to live, and even dead, souls.  But mostly it was the live souls of the people around me that I communicated with.

MY MENTAL MADNESS MEMOIR is available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook!

Sunday, August 19, 2018

Amazon Giveaways on Mental Health Books!

It's giveaway time!  Please enter 1, 2, or all 7 giveaways!

MY MENTAL MADNESS MEMOIR- Insanity in the first degree & perseverance at its very best!
ENTER NOW!

HOW TO SURVIVE DEPRESSION- Insight & inspiration into depression.
ENTER NOW!

HOW TO SURVIVE BIPOLAR DISORDER- Insight & inspiration into bipolar disorder.
ENTER NOW!

HOW TO SURVIVE SCHIZOPHRENIA- Insight & inspiration into schizophrenia
ENTER NOW!

HOW TO SURVIVE ANXIETY- Insight & inspiration into anxiety.
ENTER NOW!

HOW TO SURVIVE BPD- Insight & inspiration into BPD.
ENTER NOW!

HOW TO SURVIVE PTSD- Insight & inspiration into PTSD
ENTER NOW!

Didn't win and still interested in these books?  They are available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook. 
SHOP NOW!

Sunday, August 12, 2018

NEW RELEASE, PROMOS, DISCOUNTS, and MORE!!!

NEW RELEASE!!! 

GREAT NEWS FOR ALL YOU WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM PTSD AND THE LOVED ONES OF THOSE WHO SUFFER.  THIS POWERFUL SELF-HELP BOOK IS UNIQUELY DESIGNED TO NOT ONLY INFORM THE READER BUT TO INSPIRE AND EMPOWER THEM AS WELL!  IT OFFERS HOPE AND TIPS ON HOW TO COPE EFFECTIVELY WITH PTSD.
ALSO, HOW TO SURVIVE SCHIZOPHRENIA & HOW TO SURVIVE BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER (BPD) AS EBOOKS WILL BE DISCOUNTED, UP TO 67% FROM
AUGUST 14TH TO AUGUST 21ST!


Thursday, August 9, 2018

FREE MENTAL HEALTH AUDIOBOOK Samples! Listen now!

Friends and Fans,
I would love for you to listen to audio samples of ALL 6 of my mental health books.  Listen now.  It's totally FREE.  If you like what you hear, you can purchase an ebook, paperback, or audiobook if you wish.


MY MENTAL MADNESS MEMOIR
This is the shocking, chilling, intriguing true story of my struggles with mental illness.  It's about insanity in the first degree and perseverence at it's very best!
https://www.audible.com/pd/B078S9XXR4/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-104606&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_104606_rh_us


HOW TO SURVIVE DEPRESSION
It is a powerful self help book that offers insight & inspiration into depression.
https://www.audible.com/pd/B07B3T49R5/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-109432&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_109432_rh_us


HOW TO SURVIVE BIPOLAR DISORDER
It is a powerful self help book that offers insight & inspiration into bipolar disorder.
https://www.audible.com/pd/B07CHYK3ZD/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-114086&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_114086_rh_us


HOW TO SURVIVE SCHIZOPHRENIA
It is a powerful self help book that offers insight & inspiration into schizophrenia
https://www.audible.com/pd/B07D91RWKV/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-117033&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_117033_rh_us


HOW TO SURVIVE ANXIETY
It is a powerful self help book that offers insight & inspiration into anxiety.
https://www.audible.com/pd/B07DRQLJRW/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-119231&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_119231_rh_us


HOW TO SURVIVE BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER (BPD)
It is a powerful self help book that offers insight & inspiration into BPD.
https://www.audible.com/pd/B07FYW2K37/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-123381&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_123381_rh_us

Get your copies now! 
www.amazon.com/author/allenstephanie

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