Dark Spaces is a free verse poetry book written to shed light on the stigmas and misconceptions of mental illness while expressing the emotions felt by those that fight every day to deal with them. Having grown up in a household where my mom struggled with Bipolar Disorder, I have watched how her mental illness has affected her life. My mom is very outspoken about her disorder, but many suffer in silence as mental illness eats away at them. There are different types of mental illness, but I will focus more on mood disorders such as Depression and Bipolar Disorder. These mental illnesses are often used against people to make them feel inept or inadequate. Those that struggle with mental illness often struggle getting help because of fear! Fear is very powerful and whispers things into your ear that you can convince yourself are true. If you are reading this and are struggling, I hope these poems will help you fight that fear that tells you to give up or that you're not good enough. You're just as valuable as everyone else, and you are loved more than you know, don't let anyone tell you differently. If you're reading this and know someone that may be struggling with mental illness, I hope that this encourages you to help them fight. Become a light that exposes the lies and help them know they are loved. The book will be separated into three chapters: Lost in the Darkness, Exposing the Darkness, and Becoming the Light in Dark Spaces, these chapters will discuss different vantage points of mental illness and how to shine light on these dark spaces.
