My mother made the choice to be with her drug dealer the day they got caught. She went to jail, abandoning me and my sister. The only thing that kept us out of foster care was my grandmother and my father.

My mother's most recent ex-husband is abusive, both physically and verbally. My crying was the only thing that ever got him to stop. One time, my mother hit him with a coffee mug and kept hitting him after it broke. There was blood in the kitchen doorway.

My last boyfriend was manipulative and emotionally abusive.

My father is clinically depressed, just like me.

I've been through hell.

I know depression and anxiety. But, I have an announcement.

It gets better.

In the Christian tradition, the family who gives birth to you is your fake family. The followers of the Christian faith as a whole are your new, adoptive family. I unknowingly implemented this in my own life as I've built up my own family in lieu of the one that abandoned me.

I have a wonderful best friend and adopted sister. A fantastic "mom" club. A wonderful adopted brother. A beautiful adopted sister, with her husband and child. I've gathered people around me that love me and support me even when I can't support myself. My coworkers at work have even become my family.

I promise you, it gets better. There are people who care about you. Even when you don't think there are, even when you feel like crap and want to give up on the world and everything you believe in, there is someone out there who has the ability to care about you. They may not know you yet, but you will find them. I promise, it gets better.

I also promise that the "getting better" will also be a bit scary. I'm on track to marry my current boyfriend, something that's completely terrifying to me. But he's my best friend and he truly loves and respects me, so even though it scares me it's a leap I'm more than willing to take.

There is someone who loves you. And if there isn't someone right now, there will be someone. Your complete beauty shines far brighter than anything you could possibly think you've done wrong.

I promise, it gets better. Please put down the knife. Throw away the rope. Unload the gun. Someone in the world loves and cares about you. And if you can't find anyone right now, then just remember that I do.