Have you ever called into work because you were having some serious anxiety, or maybe because your depression was hitting hard? If you have, did you tell your boss that was the reason why, or did you make up a more reasonable excuse? If so, why? It seems like we talk a big game about mental health on social media, but in my opinion, there is still such a big stigma about it in the "real" world. Too many know what it is like to suffer from mental illness, but far too many do not.

Let me try to break it down for you. Having depression is darkness even when the sun is shining. It is dominating, cruel, and relentless. It controls your thoughts, actions, and behavior. It causes you to sleep away the day and ponder every mistake you have ever made at night. Depression is a bully. Depression is an asshole.

Let us move on to anxiety, shall we? Anxiety is locking your house up and leaving, only to have a panic attack over whether you really locked your house (and most likely going back to check). It is fretting over every single thing in your life. It is worry where there should be a relief. Anxiety makes it hard to concentrate. Hell, anxiety turns choosing between a number two and a number four at McDonald's into a decision between life and death.

Now try having both of those at the same time. It is like trying to be a perfectionist and a slacker at the same time. It is procrastination at its finest. It is self-doubt, low self-worth, and no motivation.

Did you know depression affects nearly 1 in 10 Americans at some point in their life? Anxiety? It is the most common mental disorder with nearly 19 million Americans affected. And guess what, I am one of those who suffers from both anxiety and depression. I never sought help until after I gave birth to my twins. Why? Because I was scared and embarrassed to admit that something was wrong. But let me tell you this, my life is a million times better since I got help, and it can be for you too. There is nothing to be ashamed of. We aren't embarrassed to go to the doctor for a broken leg, so why should we be afraid to talk about our brain? Our brain is an organ, and ALL organs can, and should receive treatment. Nearly 80 percent of Americans do not receive any treatment! There are a million different reasons, and I won't bore you with them all, but one main reason is the stigma! Well, you know what I say to that...F*** the stigma! You deserve to be the best YOU possible.

Sources: http://www.healthyplace.com/anxiety-panic/articles...

http://www.healthline.com/health/depression/statis...