20. Shoe laces are deadly weapons.

19. So are bras with underwire.

18. Pens and pencils are a privilege.

17. Crayons are a human right.

16. Quiet time, from 3-4 PM, is the best time of day. A SCHEDUELED activity to be inactive! What more could you ask for?

15. Crying isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength. It takes strength to let yourself feel hard things.

14. Mental hospitals are more like dramas/comedies than horror films. When people think of psych wards they think of criminally insane people rocking back and forth, talking to their imaginary friends and throwing chairs. Don't get me wrong, there's some of those. But most of us just play Uno, color in coloring books, and talk about deep stuff.

13. Some people express their pain inwardly; others express it outwardly. Most “angry” people are just hurting.

12. Speaking of, the healing is in the hurting. You have to let yourself feel the pain if you ever want to heal from it.

11. Drink the dang ensure. They actually WILL make you sit by the nurse’s station until you do. Even if you pour it on the floor. Your endurance isn’t doing you any favors sista’.

10. Eating disorders/addictions are not sustainable. They’ll land you in one of two places: the psych ward, or the graveyard. Your choice.

9. A solid eight hours of sleep can do wonders for your wellbeing.

8. Going 1-2 weeks without cell phones or social media is actually the most relaxing, freeing thing ever.

7. The friends who call/write you while you’re in treatment are the ones you should keep.

6. Art is a wonderful way to express the things you don’t know how to say.

5. Journaling is also good for the soul. Taking all the things that are in your head and putting them on paper helps you see things from a different perspective. I call this "brain drain."

4. Medication helps, but you still have to do the work. There is no magical happy pill.

3. No one is too far gone to get better.

2. Getting help is the bravest thing a person can do. Admitting that you don't have it all together is the first step in getting it together.

1. YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS.