Jason and Maye Jepson

Meet the Mother-Son Duo Advocating for Mental Health

Jason, an army veteran and published author, shares his journey with schizoaffective disorder, emphasizing that schizophrenia is not the end but a new beginning. Maye, with a Master's in Counseling, joins the conversation as a caregiver, offering valuable insights on supporting family members with loved ones who have a mental illness.

"I have Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), I was diagnosed in my first year of university. I remember noticing an increase in impulsivity, bad decisions, and mood instability, among other things. I have yet to experience a positive shift, but I’m actively working on it. I’m focused on avoiding impulsive or erratic decisions, even if it’s just in how I respond to something. However, sometimes when I think I’m not making an impulsive or erratic decision, even when I sleep on it, I realize later that it was impulsive. My BPD also comes with paranoia, sometimes it’s excessive. But I find that a lot of the time, I end up being right, which goes to show that BPD can be used as a gift rather than seen as a curse. However, I do think you need to be properly trained in how to use it as a gift, intuition, and tool.

My counsellor once told me that when I’m having a hard time (for example, when I’m splitting), I should write down what my ‘BPD Brain’ is saying versus what my ‘Wise Mind’ would say. Your wise mind is essentially what you would tell your friend in the same situation. However, I find it hard to stop and think in the moment.

My whole life has been a lot. Fortunately or unfortunately, you keep on living—you don’t have a choice. I didn't used to believe this, but I heard it in a movie: 'Everything will be okay in the end, and if it’s not okay, then it’s not the end.' My life, my trauma, my feelings (regardless of diagnosis) are very real. I know other people can relate, and I hope this helps you."

- Maha

"It started when I was in 3rd grade. I remember sitting in class and pulling my hair out, hiding it in a hat to throw it away after every lesson. I began to have a bald spot, and I remember my brother laughing and my mom being concerned. My Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) causes my trichotillomania. So many people don’t know anything about OCD; people think OCD has to do with washing your hands or being a perfectionist. But there are a lot of mental compulsions like rumination. Being a teenager made my condition worse. Things haven’t necessarily changed, but I’ve learned to live with it. In grade 8, I had an internal self-love growth. I remember thinking, 'What if I’m a piece of art and not something to be ashamed of?' After that, I started to grow as a person and realized all kinds of stuff.

I learned that I have this condition, and it makes me different, but I’m just like everyone else in a good way and not like everyone else in a good way. I learned that it’s not my fault; it started when I was 8 years old, and I grew up with this condition, and it became habitual. It’s hard to stop, but I realized I don’t have to be ashamed, and I want to share my story and inspire and help others. It’s not something I want to hide or should hide. I opened a group chat on WhatsApp with myself and started sending pictures and updates of my daily struggle with OCD and trichotillomania. My first message in the group chat was, 'I am beautiful, I am loved, things will get better,' and all kinds of positive affirmations. I used all of those updates and pictures to remember how everything started and all of my successes and failures.

My advice to others is to journal and write a lot about everything: what you feel, what you think about, what you hope for, what you’re sad about, what you’re happy about, what you’re stressed about. Progress isn't linear; take it one day at a time, and if not, then one hour at a time, and if not, one minute at a time."

- Yael