The first thing you should know is that: You are not alone. There is this stereotype that goes along with mental illness, or that something is "wrong" with someone who struggles. The truth of it all, is that mental illness is AWFUL and it is something that everyone needs to become more aware of the warning signs, and stick by your loved ones, family, friends, teammates, classmates, coworkers, who battle this.

Joey Julius, the Penn State kicker, wrote a Facebook post, opening up to people about his binge eating disorder over the last eleven years of his life.

The amount of courage that it took for him to come out in the open with it, of an athlete at a major Division 1 University, took A LOT of strength. There is so much beauty behind it, because in our society, we are afraid what people might think. The truth is, no one should be afraid to open up about mental illness, and their struggle. Instead, peers, teachers, family members, teammates, coaches, EVERYONE should be a good listener and support someone who opens up about their struggle.

Joey Julius's post got me to thinking how we need to lean on each other more and more. Being diagnosed and living with OCD since I was 9 years old has been a real struggle. It is something that I was always afraid to talk about growing up, and it was always something that made me feel like I was "different." I am taking a stand with Julius in trying to make a positive change in this world, and the way we view mental illnesses.

So to those of you reading this, to those of you struggling, DO NOT do it alone. Talk to your parents, your close friends, your pastor, SOMEONE. You will cope and become stronger as time passes on. There is absolutely nothing wrong with seeing a doctor and going on medication, or going to see a therapist. Getting the help you need, is a good thing, so please don't be afraid, and please don't be hard on yourself. You are a beautiful human being, and a blessing in so many lives.

Those who struggle with eating disorders, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, or any mental illness should know:

You are not alone

You may have become a pro at trying your best to hide your symptoms, maybe you've learned to cope overtime. You have months, years, where you are doing better than others, you are happier than others.

You should remember though, that you are not the only one going through what you are going through whether you realize it or not.

Whether you know it or not, the person sitting next to you in class, at work, on the bus, your teammate standing next to you could be struggling with mental illness.

It is not your fault, it is out of your control

There is nothing that you did wrong. Our genes are going to win. Some of us may be diagnosed at a young age, and some of us may be diagnosed at a later age. When it is in your blood, there will be times when stress, and triggers spark up the process. The process of seeing mental illness take over your mind. The hard part is, that it is out of your control, it is going to happen, and it is not your fault.

The GOOD news

By the grace of God, and your support from loved ones, you will learn how to cope. You will find doctors and therapists who help you learn how to live with this thing. It is a learning process, and it is harder than ever right now, but just hang in there, you CAN do this.

There is always a hidden gift in times of darkness

During your hardest times, you become stronger and strong. Yes, you will have weeks that are better than others, but this will be your way of empathizing with others who are experiencing what you are going through. This will be a way for you to help other people who have struggled or are struggling.

Cut out the negativity

If people are your "true" friends, they will support you and be there by your side through thick and thin. They love you, always.. At your worst and at your best. Do not waste your time on having to explain to people who are not willing to understand.

It will get better

Yes, you hear this all the time. Well right now, in this very moment it's awful. You feel like no one understands. You feel like the pain will never be over. You feel like you will never find a significant other who "gets you." The truth is that it does get better. This illness may never go away, but the pain will still decrease over time. You learn how to cope, and it may take years and years to learn how to cope with it.

Mental illness is something that affects someone's day to day life. You learn how to live with it, and most of time, you realize that your illness has actually shaped you into the strong, loving, caring, beautiful person that you are today. GOD is with you right by your side, always.