To that person,
Growing up in a school system that doesn't teach you about mental health besides throwing statistics about suicide in your face, it's hard to comprehend what it's like to have a mental illness. People think it's weird to talk about anxiety because everyone has it and depression isn't normally the typical table talk. OCD is just the organized girl in your math class, bipolar disorder is the guy who is laughing one second about something and then screaming at someone just moments later, and only military veterans have PTSD. In a world where the stigma for mental illness is so large people aren't talking about it, sometimes you just want them to listen.
I know it's hard for you to tell someone how you feel and it's even harder when they don't understand. It's frustrating when you talk about being depressed and suddenly everyone automatically assumes you must be suicidal. If you are, don't be afraid to seek help. Judgment is something no person should pass onto another when there is so much hate already surrounding our everyday lives. Confronting your phobias can seem like the end of the world when, to someone else, it's something they love.
If there's someone who cannot handle you at your worst, they don't deserve you at your best, and you should probably cut them out of your life. When the world seems like it is crumbling around you, reach out and hold on to those that anchor you to the ground. I've been where you are, and even when it seems like the light will never shine again, I promise you it will. Friends and family become the shining light at the end of the dark tunnel.
I hope you can overcome your illness and fight through the difficult times because, believe me, the ones that aren't so difficult are the times we must live for. Whether you have schizophrenia or ADHD, there is one thing we have in common: we are human. Do not let anyone treat you as though you are not. Mental illness does not make you any less of a person that someone who lives a "healthy" life.
For those who do not suffer, it's time we stop the negative stigma against mental health and start reaching out to those who suffer every day and help them. There is nothing we would love more than someone who can offer a smile and ask us how we're doing. You never know, you might save a life
Sincerely,
Anxiety, Depression and ADHD
