1. Never settle.

This applies to everything from friends to food. Don't settle for things or people you don't really like because you don't think you can do any better, you totally can and there is no point in you spending years in relationships that feel like they are suffocating you because you are scared of being alone.

2. Be honest with your support system.

Lying about your feelings is never going to get you anywhere, lying about self harm is never going to benefit you, it only makes you feel more alone. Be honest with your therapist, your guidance counselor, your friends. Don't dig a hole see deep for yourself that you are unable to get out and when you finally cry for help people had no idea you were falling apart all along.

3. You're going to get into college, and it's going to be awesome.

I know the admissions process is stressful and you're going to wonder if it's even worth it, it is worth it and going to college and getting out of the house is going to be the best thing that has ever happened to you.

4. Go to bed.

While this seems laughable I am actually being very serious, being sleep deprived feels like a personality trait at this point, so cut off the phone and go to sleep, dark circles don't look cute on anyone.

5. Don't write off teachers who don't put up with your crap.

Everyone has those teachers who are no nonsense, don't be so quick to write them of as bad teachers that you don't like, you'll find that these teachers have the biggest impact on you.

6. Take more pictures of other people.

That means you have to turn the camera away from your own face, selfies are all the craze, but take more pictures of people you love and moments you never want to forget.

7. Spend more time with grandpa

You'll understand this later.

8. The second you graduate, nothing that happened in high school matters.

Most of the friends that you had in high school won't really be your friends a month down the road, your grades and social status no longer matter, all those things that seemed like the end of the world in high school won't really matter.

9. Use your resources.

This is a piece of advice I have to remind myself of constantly even now. Go to free tutoring, talk to the guidance counselor, discuss your grades with teachers, the world isn't out to get you and you have so many resources available, revel in them.

10. Be yourself.

Nothing is worse than being years into a friendship and realizing that the other person doesn't know you at all because you were too afraid to express who you really are. Laugh loudly, talk about Doctor Who, listen to bad indie music, just be you.

11. Stop pushing people away.

Being cold and distant isn't cool and it really ends up costing you in the end.

12. You can't control what happens to you.

But you can control how you react to it.

13. Having to take medication doesn't make you weak.

Depression and anxiety are messy and medicine is that little push that can really help you climb out of bed in the morning, being on it isn't something you should flaunt, but it also isn't something you should be ashamed of.

14. Don't believe everything you think.

Your brain feeds you so much negative crap, try not to feed into it.

15. You're going to be okay.

This I think is the most important thing, I know at fifteen a lot of things seem like the end of the world, but I promise you that they aren't. You're going to make it to college and legal adulthood and it's going to get so much better, trust me, trust yourself.