My name is Jules Bertagnolli. I am a sophomore at the University of Northern Iowa studying Psychology and minoring in Anthropology as well as Spanish. I have been suicidal since I was 13, I am now almost 20 and I am still alive.

When I was about 14 or 15 I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. When I was 16, I was diagnosed with Anorexia and Bulimia. When I was 16, I was diagnosed, er... I started to hurt myself. At 17 I was hospitalized 4 times (the first time was on my brother's birthday)... In between the 2nd and 3rd time I was taken to an inpatient, residential treatment center in St. Louis, MO for 35 days. I missed Thanksgiving with my family that year and barely made it home for Christmas.

At 18 I was flourishing! At 18, my freshman year of college, I was diagnosed with Bipolar 1 Disorder..... OH by the way, I have been on meds since I was around 16. At 19, this year, my depression has resurfaced aggressively, AS WELL AS my Bipolar beginning to break THROUGH the surface aggressively.

The purpose of this blog is to have the opportunity to share my story; to offer support, or just to offer up a friendly chat. I am going to start from the beginning when I was 13, and work my way up to present time. There will be great entries, and there will be horrible days. I am going to give a full access pass into my history and into my struggle. I am going to start blogging after the first of January. I hope to have loyal "followers," better yet... loyal readers, who will spend a few minutes of their days reading a bit about a young woman struggling with mental illnesses!

Happy Holidays!

This is the most recent picture of me! From left to right, it is my friend Allie and then myself, and then my friend Cassie.