This month is Mental Health Awareness month and this week is Nurse Week. This is a perfect time for me to share how I battled with a mental illness and became a nurse.

College Dropout

I did start college at the age of 16. I expected to use a college savings plan to cover the tuition but was told I couldn’t receive it until I was 18. When I did turn 18, I was not able to access the funds and I was administratively withdrawn from school. My work to become a nurse came to a halt.

Breaking

10 years later, I was experiencing terrible nightmares. I would wake up and still be in a nightmare. I became afraid of the dark, afraid to sleep. I would spend the entire night scrubbing the house with a toothbrush and organizing all of our closets. Many days, I would go without sleeping…