No one likes to talk about the things that make them feel uncomfortable, but sometimes we need to do so. Sometimes talking about those uncomfortable topics can save our lives. This isn’t just another article warning you about suicide and the effects it has on your loved ones, or a sad story of someone who took their own life. This is a very personal story about my best friend, Julianna Puipuro, and how she fought the battle against depression, anorexia and anxiety and lived to tell her story.

Julianna’s junior year was spent a little differently than most juniors in high school. Instead of attending the first football game of the season with her friends, Julianna found herself in the hospital behavioral unit after attempting suicide. While she was in the hospital, she was diagnosed with anorexia, a major depressive disorder and multiple anxiety disorders. “People always said life was hard, which it is. I always thought I was just being sensitive, and that was just how life was,” said Julianna.

She had a lot of great friends that cared so much about her. She made decent grades in school and was involved in school activities, such as dance team. Seems like she had a pretty great life, but, “underneath that everyday smile was a girl who hurt — who hurt so bad.”

I remember when Julianna first told me about what was going on. She told me she was seeing and hearing things that she couldn’t explain what it was she saw or heard. My first reaction was that she was just under a lot of stress with school, or maybe she was just crazy.

But, one day at school, she was in the bathroom for a while. I got a little worried because she didn’t look well when she left the classroom. When I walked into the bathroom to check on her, I found her on the floor gasping for air. I had no idea what to do at that point, so I told the first teacher I saw and they carried her away to the office. I was a mess. I had no idea what was going on and no one would tell me anything, but at that point, I knew something serious was going on with her.

For the next two hours, the rest of our friend group just sat in the principal’s office. Upset, scared, confused and angry. We just wanted some answers. She was our best friend and she was clearly hurting. We wanted to be there for her.

“My school had three counselors but I picked a specific one that I had a lot of confidence in to speak with,” she said. “After two minutes of him asking me questions and just nodding or shaking my head, I broke down.” After months of holding it all in, she couldn’t keep it in any longer. “But that wasn’t the only reason I told him, I told him because there was still a tiny piece of me that wanted to be saved. That little piece didn’t want to die…”

Julianna speaking up was only the beginning of a long road to recovery. “Now I had to do all of these things and take these medications to be “fixed”, she said. “Going through it all you almost feel like a lab rat, they run test after test on you.” Not only was it a tough recovery for her, but also for her friends. We wanted to help and understand, but there was only so much a couple of 17-year-olds could do.

For months after that, Julianna was on all sorts of medications to help with her depression and anxiety. The eating disorder came from all of the stress she was under at the time. Her family and friends urged her to stay positive and keep pushing through, and that’s just what she did. Finally, by the end of junior year, Julianna was feeling much better and had a whole new outlook on life. “I would walk outside and the sky was blue and grass was green, it was a whole new world,” she said.

Since then, Julianna has come a long way. She is now 18 years old and attending Southeastern Louisiana University and majoring in psychiatric nursing. “I know that I went through all of those struggles to help someone just like me overcome the battle,” quotes Julianna. This past weekend, Saturday, September 10, Julianna walked along side her friends and family in her second annual suicide prevention walk in New Orleans. She walks to show support for victims of depression and suicide and loved ones who have lost someone due to suicide.

Julianna encourages you to reach out to her for questions, advice, or just someone to talk to. You can contact her by email at juliannapuipuro@gmail.com.

“My advice to you is don’t ever think that your problems are too big or too small to ask for help, because they’re not. Every day is so precious and worth living — just ask me!”