Hey everyone,

Let me introduce you to my blog, “I Am More Than”. Brought to you from the mind of a 29 year old Jamaican girl currently living in New Jersey. This lifestyle blog doesn’t just share my story with you, but it’s also a platform where the incredible stories of others and how they navigate through life and its many obstacles are shared. “I Am More Than” is intended to be a safe place for anyone wanting to vent, share their thoughts or even just get some advice.

The title “I Am More Than” stemmed from my refusal to let anything or anyone define me as a person. I want to start a conversation about mental health and the various ways we can cope with it in order to get rid of the stigma attached- especially in the Caribbean.

Mental illness is especially important to me because I was diagnosed with Bi Polar Disorder at the tender age of 18. This new discovery about myself literally turned my life upside down and everything I thought I knew about myself was erased in that moment.

Nothing was ever the same.

I really want people to understand that mental health is very important and needs to be cared for the same way we care for our physical health. I also want anyone out there that might be going through something similar to understand that there are better days ahead and you are not alone. It is okay to feel the way you feel. Having a mental illness does not mean you can’t achieve your goals or that you are crazy or deserve to be in a hospital the rest of your life. You are much more than a diagnosis.

Being diagnosed with a mental illness didn’t change who I am. It didn’t change my character. It did however change my perception of myself, but I am still me and…

I Am More Than.

Raissa Danee