I find in today’s world that mental health terms are becoming more and more common, especially with younger people. As I watch people post about having these things, or even making fun of them, it ignites a fire inside me and it kills me not to say anything. While it isn’t my place to judge or say what a person is or isn’t going through, these are terms that are used as a diagnostic tool among mental health professionals. I, myself, am one of those people who has been diagnosed with different things and it is very, very real.

Bipolar disorder isn’t just another name for mood swings, depression isn’t just sadness that goes away, and anxiety disorder is not the same as being stressed out. Stress and anxiety may be similar, but they are not 100% the same. Stress is caused from a factor and subsides afterwards, while anxiety lingers after the factor subsides. Everyone experiences stress, mood swings, sadness, etc., but not everyone in the world is diagnosed with these disorders varying in severity.

Mental disorders are not a joke or a fad. If you feel that you could possibly have one or any of these things, please, speak up. It is not anything to be ashamed of nor is it forcing you to alienate yourself. We spend so much time taking each other down for being different, when really we should be building each other up. You are never alone.

You are probably wondering to yourself, “Why is she writing about this? She’s not a freaking doctor.” You’re right, I am not a doctor. Right now I am a warrior. I am a survivor. I want to be a voice, or an advocate, for people who are where I used to be: Feeling alone, a victim, not feeling good enough, and everything else in between. I want to share my story and where I came from so you can see the growth out of bad situations. I want to give others hope because I wish I had someone to do it for me.

Now some of you may take something from this, some may have negative things to say, some may just not care, and that’s okay. I am not looking for sympathy. It takes courage (especially from an introvert) to share their deepest, most personal aspects of life. This is nerve-wracking even as I’m typing, but all I want anyone to get out of this is comfort and confidence. Anyone finding something wrong with that is what’s wrong with this world to begin with.

The month of May is Mental Health Awareness Month and I'm taking this opportunity to allow you to see the skeletons in my closet, find out who I am, and raise awareness on the issue itself. Everyone is so quick to jump into being open about having anxiety or depression, but I think no one is as quick to reflect and be open about why they have it. Over the next four weeks, I will be sharing parts of my life that hopefully give outsiders a better understanding of what it is people like me go through. More importantly, I hope to become an inspiration to those struggling just like me.

I've been working on this project since late January after my mother committed suicide. This has been a huge part in my healing and coping process. My darkest experiences in life have been so incredibly intimate, closed-off, and terrifying, but I don't want to be afraid of them anymore. One of my biggest strengths and weaknesses has been filling my voids with the happiness of others, and I don't want to ache anymore. As much as I'm doing this for people who struggle, I'm doing this for me, too.

Hang tight, stay tuned, and help me raise awareness for a cause that I'm sure everyone has fallen weak to at least once. We can break the stigma and we can do it together.