Monique Vitche

When you’re gift shopping, sometimes you want to put as much thought into where you’re shopping as who you’re purchasing a gift for. Take, for example, supporting small businesses or LGBTQ-owned establishments. This of course also extends to supporting businesses owned by people on the spectrum.
You’ve probably heard plenty of times the employment rate for people with disabilities is fairly low, at 37%. However, there are companies making concerted efforts to shrink this number by hiring peop...

I used to wake up every morning and have an intense feeling of dread wash over me. I’d feel stuck in my bed, unable to move as my thoughts began to race. Or maybe they were already racing because I didn’t sleep well the night before and was only just noticing. There’s no avoiding the fact I knew I had to get out of bed and start my day, but a looming unknown threat would make me want to hide under the protection of my covers.
Although this doesn’t happen daily anymore, I still experience “mor...

One of the best ways to show someone respect is to validate who they are. Often, we can do this with language, like when we ask (and then use) someone’s preferred gender pronouns or their preferred identity- or person-first language when describing their disability. For example, if an autistic person prefers “autistic person,” but you instead insist on calling them a “person with autism,” that can be disrespectful and invalidating.
A discussion around identity-first versus person-first langua...

Imagine being in a supermarket and noises are buzzing all around you. There’s the sound the pin pad makes when it asks you to remove your card and the “beep” of each item being scanned. There’s the sounds of people talking to their loved ones as they push a loud cart down the aisle. And those lights are too bright. Doesn’t sound like fun, right?
For some folks, especially those who are on the autism spectrum, this can be incredibly overstimulating. You might feel overwhelmed by all of the noi...

NOTE: Although the byline is my co-worker, I contributed additional reporting and photo research to this story.

Sleep can be a real challenge at times. I know I struggle with falling and staying asleep because of my health conditions. Some nights I’ll be up scrolling through apps on my phone until eventually, I fall asleep. Other nights, I’ll be able to fall asleep instantly, but toss and turn so much that I wake up the next morning feeling as though I just ran a marathon.
For folks who live with insomnia, whether it’s a symptom of depression or the result of dealing with chronic pain (or something els...

When I was a kid, I had a school assignment to write in a journal. I would write tall tales to try to impress my teacher and make her think I had more close friends than I really did. Making up stories helped me convince myself I wasn’t as lonely as I actually was. But the reality was, I spent a lot of recess periods by myself on the swings.
Maybe you did similar things growing up. As a kid, it’s not always easy to put words to how you’re feeling — especially if you’re struggling with the pai...

Have you ever felt like you’re being pulled in several directions at the same time? For people with bipolar disorder who have mixed episodes, this can be a common experience.

A mixed episode is when a person living with bipolar experiences depression and mania at the same time. Although having a manic episode and a depressive episode at the same time may sound confusing, it’s actually pretty common. About 40% of people with bipolar disorder will experience a mixed episode at least once in the...

Editor's Note
Any medical information included is based on a personal experience. For questions or concerns regarding health, please consult a doctor or medical professional.
I know I struggle with sleep because of my mental health. Something may have happened during the day to cause my anxiety to spike or perhaps I’m slipping into a depressive episode. Maybe I had a moment of “bipolar rage” and now I’m ruminating over what happened. All of these scenarios, among others, can make good quality...

If you’ve never heard the term “complex trauma” before, you’re not alone. Complex trauma essentially refers to exposure to trauma over long periods of time, often during childhood. In some cases, complex trauma leads to mental health struggles like anxiety, depression and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD).
Anxiety due to complex trauma is often difficult to shake. This is something Mighty contributor Vicki Peterson wrote about in her piece, “We Can’t Keep Treating Anxiety From C...

Editor's Note
If you have experienced emotional abuse, the following post could be potentially triggering. You can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741741.
Growing up has its own unique set of challenges. You’re learning how to make friends, study in school and you might be going on first dates. Perhaps most importantly, you’re trying to figure out your place in the world.
But when you grow up with a narcissistic parent, figuring out your place in the world can be especially...

It’s perfectly normal to have a days that are hard to manage. When you live with chronic illness, hard days can sometimes really pack an extra punch.
Maybe you’re dealing with “fibro fog” that’s making it difficult to concentrate on tasks, or you’re having a pain flare that’s keeping you in bed for most of the day. Or maybe your illness has left you feeling fatigued and you feel like you can’t recharge your batteries no matter what you do. If any of these scenarios sound familiar, you’re not ...

If you live with bipolar disorder, which is a mood disorder characterized by extreme highs (mania) and lows (depression), it’s only natural to experience some fears from time to time.
These fears can manifest in thoughts like, “Is this emotion ‘real’ or is it just a symptom of an episode?” or “People just tolerate me and will eventually leave me.” If you can relate, you’re not alone.
To let people know they aren’t the only ones having these fears, we turned to our Mighty community to share fe...

Editor's Note
If you experience suicidal thoughts, the following post could be potentially triggering. You can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741741.
If you have survived a suicide attempt or struggle with suicidal thoughts, you might be familiar with some of the “harmless” but incredibly hurtful things people often say. Well-intentioned statements like,”But you have so much to live for!” or “Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem” are common, but can be in...

Editor's Note
If you experience suicidal thoughts, the following post could be potentially triggering. You can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741741.
Have you ever had a “dark” thought cross your mind that you just couldn’t shake no matter how hard you tried?
Thoughts like, “Everyone will leave me” or “People are better off without me” can be common when you’re struggling with your mental health. If you’ve ever had thoughts like these, you’re not alone.
The only way we can...