Mental Health Day

Before we start, I suggest taking caution when reading this post as it may contain content that is triggering for those who may be going through something similar. The content in this post is about my experience with mental illness.

I am a few days late for World Mental Health Day. But, I’ve decided it’s still something important to write about and share. World Mental Health Day is held every year on October 10th. The purpose of this day is to spread awareness of mental health issues around the world. I’ve decided to share a little about my story and experience with mental illness.

I’m diagnosed with depression, ptsd, anxiety, agoraphobia, ADHD, panic disorder, and an adjustment disorder. I am about three years post-diagnosis, but it is still a struggle every day. Today also happens to be one of those days that it feels like a struggle.

See here for My Experience With Anxiety.

I officially got diagnosed with everything in 2016 after I had tried to end my life. I was overwhelmed with work, school, family/social relationships, and the fact that I had gotten cancer three years before. I used to get panic and anxiety attacks daily, and it didn’t matter where I was. I could be at home or out in public or a car, and it would happen. Sounds, people, and places easily triggered me.

This is a hard topic for me to write about, and it probably doesn’t make much sense. It is honestly hard to describe what I feel and am going through most of the time. Maybe I’ll write a full page about it later when things are going a little better.

I guess the main point of this post is to say that I wish there were not such a huge stigma around having a mental illness. I’ve had people close to me tell me it’s “all in my head” or “there’s no such thing, just stop being sad or stop being a baby.” I have also been told that it makes you look “weak” to ask for help.

Mental illness is real, and people suffer from it every day, and I feel like it needs to be talked about more often. People shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help or talk about their problems.

If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. You’ll find a support system that’ll work great for you, and you’ll be able to work through all of it. Don’t be afraid to put yourself first; it’ll be worth it in the end.

Just take it one day at a time ♡