When Carrie Fisher passed away, tributes came flooding in. Most people simply mourned their space princess, but many others mourned a hilarious soul who truly owned her mental illness. Carrie was one of the roughly 26.2% of Americans that suffer from mental illness and she never let it become something that she was ashamed of. Although she struggled with addiction and mental illness her entire life, she was able to come to terms with herself and her identity. Until she passed away, I had no idea how courageous and outspoken she was. It became apparent how much the media demonized her for her addiction and her illness, which is something that happens to many people in the limelight. As I watched all of the tributes to Carrie Fisher, I found that her struggles resonated with me. I too struggle with mental illness; generalized anxiety disorder has been a constant companion and tormenter throughout my life. However, during college, I finally learned how to “own” my anxiety. I became sick of feeling ashamed for being the way that I was. So what if I take medication to be able to function? It’s the same as any other illness, even if others don’t treat it that way. Some people look at me funny or seem surprised when I make jokes about my anxiety; it’s almost as if I should be embarrassed to talk about it so openly, that it should be something that I quietly live with. My response? No. I will proudly own it because it helps me to heal and to live with it. As for Carrie Fisher, she will truly be missed and she is an inspiration to those who suffer quietly from mental illnesses. She once said “If I have the problems, the problems don’t have me. They’re not something I’m ashamed of.” Thank you for being unapologetically yourself Carrie.