You wake up like every other person, eat breakfast (or don't), drink coffee (or don't), go to work or school, and hide the pain that is swelling just below the surface. To others you appear happy, calm, "normal." The world around you doesn't know how to deal with your pain. They can't understand you, so they don't help. The people around you see your disorder as something of a swear word. Anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, schizophrenia. They are showstoppers. People cringe when they hear them, because it means the world around them isn't as picture perfect as they thought.
You feel like your family acts like they are walking on glass when they check up on you. They talk about you behind your back, and question the decisions you make because of your disorder, not knowing how much pain you're hiding behind your eyes. When they say, "Oh, you're just sad. Go out and have fun," or, "You're just worrying. It's easy to just stop doing that," your eyes glaze over and you stop listening. You've heard it a million times from everyone. No one seems to believe that mental disorders are a real issue.
Life becomes less like a roller coaster, and more like the Tower of Terror; violent and drastic ups and downs that can happen at the drop of a hat. There is no timing of it, no signs indicating when it will happen next. One day you're happy and living life to the best of you're ability, and the next you are so depressed that you don't want to get out of bed or even eat, but your anxiety tells you that if you don't get up, you will disappoint everyone. There is a constant battle in your mind between these two opposing forces, and they are so commonly diagnosed together.
Living with any mental disorder isn't "quirky" or "indie." It doesn't contribute to any aesthetic. It sucks, no ifs ands or buts about it. Stop romanticizing the daily struggles someone else has to go through. Being depressed, or anxious, isn't something you can just "fix," but there are ways you can help someone who deals with a mental disorder. Talk about it! Open the line of communication about the subject so that they feel comfortable talking to you about it. This will help reduce the stigma behind it, and allow even more people to come forward and talk about the problems they are facing.
Not everyone wants to be helped though. It's not your job to help them, so don't force the issue if they aren't comfortable. Research the subject and ways to help without being invasive. Be empathetic and relate to them. Let them know you care, and you only want them to be OK. Sometimes words mean nothing to someone who is having a panic attack, or a depressive episode. Sometimes a hug is the best option, and that's OK.
