Something that is very near and dear to me right now is mental health awareness. While personally having a terrible anxiety/panic disorder, I can say that it isn't exactly a cakewalk in today's society.
The awareness that we have for mental health hasn't made my case much better, and there is a reason behind it. No one wants to admit their weaknesses. When I first began having signs of a panic disorder, my parents wouldn't accept it. They couldn't figure out why their daughter, who had a wonderful life was having multiple panic attacks a day and developing chronic depression.
Thankfully, they've become a great support system. After getting over their initial confusion, they've educated themselves as much as they possibly can on my disorder, but even with their support, it's still not easy. When I would go to the hospital multiple times, convinced I was dying, the doctors almost laughed at me stating it was just my anxiety. They showed me my blood tests and my CT scans, proving that indeed I was perfectly "healthy", but I wasn't. Imagine being told you're fine, but you feel like you're dying. The symptoms feel too real to not be there, and your disorder consumes your life.
Mental health isn't just something that you can see on a sheet of paper or a picture, and that's why people don't get it. I am not a weak person, I am actually very strong. It took me a while to realize this about myself. I had to be strong because mental health awareness is lacking. Even the people who are supposed to help you like doctors and specialists don't fully understand it unless they themselves have gone through the horrors of a mental disorder.
It is draining and some days you don't have enough energy to even get out of bed...but you do anyway. You have to because society won't just let you lay in bed all day tossing and turning, feeling mentally unable to face the day. Society won't take your excuses and reason with you, they will chew you up and spit you back out.
And that is why I am begging people to realize that mental health disorders are so real. They are very real and make people's lives hell, I say this because I know from my personal experiences. So I'm asking you to please try to help raise awareness for a cause that is constantly being silenced. Don't silence us anymore. If you personally know someone or are struggling yourself, know you're not alone. There is help out there, and even if it takes a while to find, you will get better. Raising mental health awareness means so much to me, and it brings me great joy to see that people are slowly but surely beginning to talk about it.
