Getting to Know Me: Kristina

Summary

Kristina is a creative and passionate writer, mother of three, and mental health advocate, who uses her diverse life experiences and struggles with mental illness to inspire and connect with others through her writing.

Abstract

Kristina, a nearly 29-year-old mother of three, introduces herself as a multifaceted individual with a rich tapestry of traits, both positive and negative. She finds joy and motivation in her children, who encourage her to strive for self-improvement. Despite facing challenges with mental health, including depression, anxiety, and other disorders, Kristina has discovered her voice through writing. Her journey has been marked by attempts at higher education, various job experiences, and a passion for creative expression, such as writing, poetry, and tie-dye art. Kristina's life is driven by her love for family and animals, a quirky fascination with vacuum cleaners, and a deep-seated desire to make others feel loved and supported.

Opinions

Kristina views herself as a complex individual with a balance of strengths and weaknesses, emphasizing the importance of self-reflection and personal growth.
She believes in the power of writing as a means to overcome communication challenges posed by her mental health conditions.
Kristina reflects on her educational and career path with a sense of realism and self-awareness, acknowledging the missteps and unfinished endeavors.
Her passion for creative arts and her dedication to her family are central to her identity and well-being.
She holds a strong conviction in the importance of helping others and spreading love, which she considers to be her life's greatest passions.

A short introduction to who I am and why I write.

A photo of myself, taken by myself.

My name is Kristina, but I am so much more than just a simple name. I am creative, kind, passionate, and strong. I am flawed, stubborn, destructive, and emotional. For every positive we see in ourselves, we should find a negative that we can improve on. I have a long history of self-reflection and strive to be a litter better each day.

I am a nearly 29-year-old mother of three. I had all three kids very close to each other. It can be very hard some days to find the motivation to get anything done, but these little humans bring me so much joy and hope for the future. They are my unshakable source of motivation to do better, try my best, and take care of myself.

I love to write because it gives me my voice. I have been diagnosed with several mental illnesses. I have depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, PTSD, and dissociative identity disorder. In addition, as a young child, I was diagnosed with ADHD. Someday I hope to be able to get a proper assessment done to find out if all of these diagnoses are correct, or if I just have symptoms that overlap and can present as other illnesses. With all that I have been through, speaking to other people can be a challenge for me. I never know how much I should share or how to keep a conversation going without making people bored. As you read this now, I am sure you are probably getting bored!

After graduating High school back in 2011, I tried my hand at college. I was told to go to college online, get a job, or move out. I still to this day do not drive, and back then, I lived in a place where you needed to drive to be able to get to your job. Without a job, I clearly couldn’t move out. So, I went with my option of online college. It was not a good choice. I was taking classes in Criminal Investigation. I hated it. I did end up moving out and quitting college. Fast forward several years. I again attempted the college route. I was taking classes for my associate's degree in medical records/billing and coding. I didn’t graduate from that either, but that is a story for another day. I ended up working at several different jobs. I have made subs, watched people’s kids, listened to people complain over the phone about how incompetent I was, and ran a gas station alone at night. After having my first child, I decided to just be a stay-at-home mom.

There are many things that I am passionate about. I love writing and poetry. I love my family. Animals bring me a lot of joy. I create tie-dye clothing and sell them at a local store. You will likely find more vacuums in my house than in most other households. That is not because I am a neat freak. I do not even use them every day. I just love them! I use to take dance and gymnastics when I was a child and still love watching other people perform. I would have to say my two biggest passions in life however are making people feel loved and doing everything I can to make sure I help others as often as I can.