Mental illness, "Hey guys. I brought in some friends today. They have a few things they want to share."

Anxiety speaking here. Sometimes I enjoy taking over her entire day. I'll make her cancel her plans, let down her friends, and make her a prisoner in her room. Some days, just for fun, I'll make her think extremely irrational thoughts. I tell her that if she goes to lunch at 12:45, something terrible will happen.

See, I like to play these games where I disappear for a day or so, and when I come back I take over in full force. Oh, and I usually make her think everyone hates her. You see, the game I play, I will always win. I have full control. When it's me vs her, I will always win.

Depression here. How's it going? It's going great, I've had him locked in his room for days. He can't come out. I've been playing a tug-a-war game with him lately. He wants to eat, but I won't let him. He wants to hang out with his friends, but I refuse. He wants to participate in class, not gonna happen. You see, I take every thought he has and turn it against him. He's constantly fighting himself. But, you know...he doesn't feel happy, he doesn't feel sad, he doesn't even get angry..he just exists. It's a fun game to watch.

Bipolar here. No, it's not. Nevermind. Well maybe. I'm a tricky one. I enjoy being misunderstood. I'll have her feeling great for weeks, and I'll snap my fingers and BAM. She will either be too depressed to keep herself healthy, or I'll have her going nonstop for weeks. Who knows, it's whatever I decide. Some days, I make her viciously angry, other days I'll give her a break and allow her to be gentle and loving.

ADHD... Hiiiiii. I agree with Bipolar, I am also misunderstood. Some days, I'll make him run on full for hours and hours. But, sometimes, I make it so he can't concentrate on a damn thing. It's pretty great. I take many forms. I can make him hyper, impulsive, and I make it hard for him to transition. Sometimes, I make him focus on one thing for hours and nothing will grab his attention unless I say so.

OCD..OCD..OCD. Just like the others, people claim they have me when they really don't. Just the other day, I had her wash her hands 5 times, every 5 hours. I also made sure she straightened up the shoes by the front door. Or, sometimes, after shes warm and comfortable in bed, I will tell her to get out of bed. "Get out of bed, go check every lock in the house, and turn the lights on and off, just to make sure." I take many forms as well. Who am I today, stick around and you will see.

Mental illness, "Thank you for sharing today. we didn't get to a lot of people, but that's okay. Keep up the great work."

Most of us are fighting this battle.

If you or someone you know needs help, call the hotline at (866) 575-7208.