My parents took me to a child psychiatrist one time because I was having night terrors almost every night around the age of 6. He told them he thought there was something wrong with me, but they didn't want to hear it so they never took me back. I was probably bipolar then, but of course no one was diagnosing little kids with manic depression in the '60s. I had bouts of depression as early as age 10, which was when I first had suicidal ideation.

My parents would never have supported my getting help or allowing myself to be labeled as mentally ill. It was a character flaw, a weakness as they saw it. Who knows, my life might have been easier if I'd been diagnosed and treated when I was young, but of course I'll never find that out.