Hi, my name is Gessie! I am 24 years old, from Long Island, New York. My story with mental health conditions began over a decade ago. I was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of seven and was prescribed medication. At the age of 17, I was officially diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I have had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder for as long as I can remember, but I was not aware of it or even knew what it was until I was in 4th grade. I am also on the Autism Spectrum.
At the age of 11, I began pulling out my hair. I soon found out that this was called trichotillomania (trich), a compulsive disorder classified as a Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior (BFRB). When I was 15, I also started pulling out my eyebrows. Due to the hair loss that resulted from repeated pulling, I felt a great deal of shame at first. But, slowly, over time, I have learned to overcome that shame and love myself unconditionally, no matter what my hair looks like. I truly believe that I would not be able to love and accept myself as much as I do now, had I not had trich. I have gone through everything from wearing wigs and hairpieces, to short pixie cuts, to even shaving my head completely bald. These days, my natural curls have grown back, and though I still have no eyebrows, I am as confident as ever. I consider myself to be in recovery, even though I still pull my hair and still deal with the day to day woes of mental illness. I believe that recovery is a journey, not a destination, and that true recovery is simply choosing to keep going each day despite all my struggles.
"This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." ~Psalms 118:24
I have become very passionate about advocating for mental health and BFRBs and want to help as many people as I can. Although life with mental illness isn't easy, I am thankful, in a way, for having these disorders, because they've helped me find my voice and have given me a platform to help others.
"In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world." ~John 16:33
At the age of 11, I began pulling out my hair. I soon found out that this was called trichotillomania (trich), a compulsive disorder classified as a Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior (BFRB). When I was 15, I also started pulling out my eyebrows. Due to the hair loss that resulted from repeated pulling, I felt a great deal of shame at first. But, slowly, over time, I have learned to overcome that shame and love myself unconditionally, no matter what my hair looks like. I truly believe that I would not be able to love and accept myself as much as I do now, had I not had trich. I have gone through everything from wearing wigs and hairpieces, to short pixie cuts, to even shaving my head completely bald. These days, my natural curls have grown back, and though I still have no eyebrows, I am as confident as ever. I consider myself to be in recovery, even though I still pull my hair and still deal with the day to day woes of mental illness. I believe that recovery is a journey, not a destination, and that true recovery is simply choosing to keep going each day despite all my struggles.
"This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." ~Psalms 118:24
I have become very passionate about advocating for mental health and BFRBs and want to help as many people as I can. Although life with mental illness isn't easy, I am thankful, in a way, for having these disorders, because they've helped me find my voice and have given me a platform to help others.
"In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world." ~John 16:33
Montauk, New York
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Here are some facts about me: I am a daughter, a granddaughter, a friend, a sister with two older sisters and a younger brother, and an aunt to my eight year old nephew. I have five dogs and two turtles, and it's basically a zoo in my house!
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My passion in life is working with children. Currently I work as a respite caregiver for a 14 year old girl with developmental disabilities. I love my job! I volunteered for a year at my parish's school as an aide in nursery and Pre-K classes, from 2017-2018. For six years, I taught religious education classes for first graders at my church. I enjoy baking, and my specialties are banana bread and apple cake. I LOVE to travel, even by myself, and I have taken several solo trips. It's always fun exploring new places and I feel a sense of freedom and independence. My favorite trips I've taken have been to California, Toronto Canada, and Miami Beach. My happy place is at the beach and I revel in the sunshine. Summer is my favorite season and I wish I lived somewhere with more months of warm weather. I have a knack for writing, and combine my two passions of writing and mental health advocacy by writing articles about my experience with mental illness and trichotillomania. I have contributed to a few different online media outlets, including to the Huffington Post twice. I hope my writing will let others know they aren't alone, and inspire people to love their true selves. In September 2022, I published two books about trichotillomania: a memoir titled Triumphant Trichster, and a kids book titled A Trichy Situation. My favorite food is pizza, my favorite dessert is apple crisp, and I appreciate a good chai latte. My favorite TV shows are Stranger Things, Unsolved Mysteries, and game shows. Some of my favorite music artists are Taylor Swift, Lorde, Bleachers, and The Strokes, all of whom I have seen in concert. I am interested in cryptozoology, aliens, UFOs, and weird stuff like that. I consider myself a huge fan of Mothman, a cryptid originating in West Virginia. Turtles have always been my favorite animal. I love the color pink and Vera Bradley brand bags and accessories. I have a good eye for style and love dressing up. Right now, I am navigating my 20s, working on learning to do more things for myself, and expanding my horizons traveling to new places. My ultimate goal in life is to simply be happy and to have a lasting impact on others. I really believe I can change the world, and that is what I intend to do. I'm just getting started!
