Photo: Paul Smith Photography
Linsey Godfrey (Sarah, Days of our Lives, ex-Caroline, The Bold and the Beautiful) opened up recently to People Magazine about her life, living with mental illness.
In December of 2019, Godfrey was diagnosed with borderpolar disorder. People quotes Dr. Mark Zimmerman, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University who helped coin the word, as referring it to “individuals with borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder.”
Godfrey shared how there was a sense of “calm” despite receiving the diagnosis. She knew she “wasn’t okay” and had suffered for so long in silence without knowing or understanding why. We can relate to relief that can come just from finally having an answer to an unknown.
There are nine symptoms of borderpolar including unstable mood shifts, significant ups, and downs in relationships; a sense of emptiness and worthlessness, impulsivity in various areas, difficulty controlling one’s anger, and threats of self-harm behavior. According to Dr. Zimmerman, only five of the nine symptoms need to be present for an individual to be diagnosed with the personality disorder, Godfrey shared with People that she has all nine.
Thankfully, now, with the help of medication, cognitive behavioral therapy, and the strength and support from Godfrey’s family and friends, she is “happy and healthy” and equipped with a newfound determination to do her part in educating people about mental health issues and in helping decrease the negative stigma that is all too often associated with it.
Godfrey also shared this with People, “Mental illness doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care who you are, or what family you were born into, or what your experiences were. The more we talk about it, the less alone everybody would feel.”
What a strong, fierce, and inspirational lady! God Bless you, Linsey!
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