I only started calling myself mentally ill after my attempt. I was so shocked by it I thought that it proved I was crazy. Not sure that an attempt always means you are mentally ill. There could be situations where it could be quite rational.

I do think I have a mood disorder but maybe shouldn't call myself mentally ill because sometimes I can be quite rational.

I loved the Charlie Brown comic strips from a very young age. Depending on my mood, sometimes I can be like Charlie Brown. I can also occassionally (but not as often) be a little like Luna Lovegood and Tigger. In HS I was fascinated with the book "Gone With The Wind" because though I was not from the South, I felt like my mom was a little like Scarlet--feminine, ambitious and had good business instincts. I now can relate to it in that I have gained more appreciation for my H lately--but unlike Scarlet, I realized how good he has been to me before it was too late. It is never too late to learn important lessons in our life!

Some of the descriptions in the DSM seem to describe our temperaments, character, moods--that kind of thing. There can be good and bad that comes from all of it--the trick is understanding what is going on then compensating (using all the tools at our disposal) in order to live the best life we possibly can.....