Author Archives: Samantha Mercanti

Going to university with a mental illness (and even a physical illness) in the year 2001 is very different than going to university nowadays.  It is much better now but we do still have a long way to go.  Everyone has a tutor now.  I was never offered a tutor in my chem degree onContinue reading “a little more info…”

Why do we sometimes lack compassion?  I have always wondered this.  Maybe I lacked it for some periods of my life.  Compassion is an interesting thing.  Do you have compassion?  Do we all somewhere deep down have compassion?   Feeling compassion for others is given to us only if we want it and are truly readyContinue reading “compassion.”

The only people who truly know what I went though are my parents.  If you want to know more ask them or ask me.  For some reason a lot of people don’t ask me, they just assume maybe they know.  My parents saw firsthand what I went through and my parents did everything with meContinue reading “why i am so close to my parents.”

I have bad days.  Don’t we all.  My bad days can be tough.  Sometimes I just want to curl up in my bed and not talk to anyone and not deal with life.   Those days, I do get up, go on my computer, go for a run, go to work, have dinner, watch shows andContinue reading “i have bad days. don’t we all.”

When I was ill, I made a lot of mistakes in life.  I would say things that in my right mind I would never say.  I would do things that in my right mind I would never do. I smoked cigarettes, for goodness sake, me, the person who would never ever touch a cigarette inContinue reading “be better.”

Mental illness is not automatically negative.  My journey and my story is and always has been very positive.  I may have had some awful experiences and awful times in my life, however I actually see my story as positive.  I find sometimes people associate negativity with mental illness, and I think that is the firstContinue reading “my story is positive.”

For my first university degree, while I was on a Letter of Permission, I actually failed a course.  I knew I was going to fail the course by the drop date.   I could have dropped the course, but because I was so lost and broken, I didn’t drop the course.   I just continued on andContinue reading “marathon to a 5K…”

My whole life changed in one moment.  Until you have experienced this you might never truly understand it.  I probably should have died that night in my residence room or in the days after when I did not sleep.    Yet, for some reason, I survived.  And I am grateful every day for this. IContinue reading “appreciate life”

Many people I have talked to over the years always say to me well my friends and families lives are perfect, mine is just horrible, they did all the right things in their lives, they have great jobs, got married at the right time, had kids, bought the perfect house.   And I always kind ofContinue reading “do good and forget about it.”

Before you start any new fitness regimen or any new sport, please talk to your doctor and/or health professional. When you are so lost and you don’t think or know what will happen to you or if you will ever be okay again, you would probably latch on to something that makes you feel better. Continue reading “there is a story behind why i love running and golfing.”