Everyone knows somebody-whether it’s your parent, your friend, your sibling, or yourself…you know someone who is going through something that is beyond their own control.

We have romanticized cocooning when feeling alone in society – with metaphors of a turtle surfacing from its shell – as if your life stops there. We, as sufferers, rarely speak until we are to our breaking point. We give into the illusion that the sick must remain hidden for a little while longer and that our voices are not yet as meaningful. Yet, at the same time, we talk about it like it’s not a big deal. You have depression? Ok you are JUST sad. You have an eating disorder? Ok you JUST have low self-esteem. You JUST, you JUST, you JUST.

Once you express that you have a disorder, people tend to tip-toe around you. Being careful with everything they say. Your disorder does not define you; your strength, your compassion, and your courage to take one day at a time, does. You HAVE a disorder. Your best friend HAS depression. Your brother HAS anxiety. You HAVE anorexia. Your best friend is not depression, your brother is not anxiety, and you are not anorexia.

Here are a few quotes to help someone with a disorder get through the day, and to help people understand that you did not choose your disorder.

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