My name is Carol, and I grew up in Topeka, Kansas. I'm 38 years old and I've moved around a lot - from Kansas to Oregon to Wisconsin to Ohio. Some might say I've been chasing something, others might say I'm running from something. But I firmly believe that above everything else, I've honestly just been trying to find myself. 

An unstable sense of self is just one of the many excruciating symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder.

I am walking to end the stigma around mental illness and raise awareness about Borderline Personality Disorder specifically. This is a very complicated illness that is actually described as the most painful mental illness that there is, and I (as well as many others that I know and love) am struggling with this illness every day.

Up to 10% of patients with BPD die by suicide. It's a terrifying statistic that looms over our heads and breaks our collective hearts, but it is possible to treat it, and it COULD be possible to bring that percentage down with the right amount of awareness, advocacy, and treatment.