If you have ever turned down social, academic, or relational opportunities because of your mental illness, I am here to tell you that you are not alone. I have been there. So many people have been there.

Deep down there is so much you want to do, but your mental illness weighs your enthusiasm down with "what ifs," and you end up thinking to yourself, "there's no way I can do that; not with my anxiety/depression/OCD/ED/etc."

You find yourself just accepting that there are things you cannot do because of your mental illness. That doesn't have to be the case.

There have been times where I have felt so much anxiety that going to the grocery store was like driving myself straight into the depths of hell. I felt like everyone around me was watching me and judging me, and so I shopped quickly with my head down and often forgot half of the things I needed.

I thought to myself if I can't even get groceries without having an anxiety attack, how am I going to go to class, or a concert, or a job interview, or anything? So, I set the bar for myself extra low to accommodate my anxiety, and I put off doing things that might make it worse. And I made a mental list of all of the things I just couldn't do.

As it turns out, it is good to challenge yourself; this is especially true if you have a mental illness. You will have to work 10 times harder than everyone around you to accomplish the simplest things, but the payoff is immense. You may have bad days that make everything feel impossible, but those are the days that you really need to pull yourself together and do something your mental illness told you-you never could.

I started making detailed lists for the grocery store and smiling at the people I passed, even though everything inside me told me to look down and shop quickly. I started taking myself to do things I love...alone; because I don't need anyone else to see a movie with me, and I don't care if anyone thinks that's weird.

I started acting how I thought someone without anxiety would act, and the fear lessened. I began displaying a more positive version of myself, and people noticed. I noticed.

Some days are harder than others, and I still occasionally deny myself opportunities because I'm feeling anxious or emotionally drained, but not every time. I will never again allow my mental illness to decide for me what I cannot do, and if you have ever felt this way, I encourage you to do the same.