It’s important to explore the Somatization of mental illness | Diana’s Story

After a bipolar diagnosis at 13-years-old, Diana survived a number of suicide attempts. And when she was 14 years old, she began having migraines. She often felt dizzy as she walked. Sunlight seemed to pierce her skull, and felt like shards digging into her eyes. After a week of constant pain, her parents took her to an optometrist. That’s when they learned she had uveitis, an inflammatory eye disease that can send the pressure inside an eye soaring and render people temporarily blind.
For the next four years, Diana visited ophthalmologists, rheumatologists, and many other specialists in Los Angeles to find a cause. Episodes of temporary blindness resurfaced every few months, as she underwent a battery of tests. But every single test came back fine. Until one ophthalmologist said that studies have been showing a possible link between uveitis and psychological distress. That’s when it clicked for Diana. Her body might be reacting to her mind.
Diana shares the story of her struggles and stumbling across a surprisingly healing hobby: writing letters to strangers, which inspired her to create Letters to Strangers, today the largest global youth-for-youth mental health nonprofit. Learn more at www.letterstostrangers.org/
Source: www.inquirer.com/health/asian...