I see my problems and issues as a combination of who I really am (the basic personality I was born with) and how I was influenced by things that happened as I was growing up. As far as I know, I don't have any actual chemical imbalances or physical defects that are at cause. Also, I've never been diagnosed with a major mental illness such as schizophrenia or DID. The only psychotropic drugs I've ever taken have been for anxiety, like Ativan or Xanax.

So I basically feel like I got screwed up along the way, and it's possible for me to untangle the mess and get straightened out. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.