You may feel alone. Like no one will understand. Like no one can help you.
You may feel like you are fighting a losing battle. You may not know how you can possibly keep going. You may think you deserve to be alone. That this is your fault.
Your mental illness is not your fault.
I know you may be scared, lonely and in need of a shoulder to cry on or someone to just listen to you. But I promise you can fight this. You do not have to do this alone. There are people in this world who will listen to you and understand you and do everything in their power to help you and I pray you find someone like that.
Do not be afraid to ask for help. I know how hard it is. I have been in your position before and I know what it feels like to be so scared to ask for help that you are willing to keep feeling terrible just so you do not have to admit something is wrong.
But that is not the solution. You have to reach out to someone — anyone — or else nothing is going to change. I know it can sometimes feel more comfortable to struggle in silence. I know because I was in that situation. I was alone. I tried so hard to fight back only to find I could not win this battle alone.
We are social creatures by nature. I know opening up might scare you — it still scares me — but there is someone who can help you get better, hopefully more than one person. The world does not have to be a scary place, even though it may feel like it sometimes.
So, please know you are not alone.
People will understand you. People can help you. You can win this battle. You can keep going and you will. You do not deserve to be alone. This is not your fault. Your mental illness is not your fault.
Reach out. Tell someone. Ask for help. Admit you are not OK. Know it is OK to not be OK. Get the help you need because you do not deserve to feel terrible all the time. Know you can fight this and you can get better. Stay strong and keep fighting and remember you are not alone.
If you or someone you know needs help, visit our suicide prevention resources page.
If you need support right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text “START” to 741-741.
We want to hear your story. Become a Mighty contributor here.
Thinkstock photo via fluenta.
I am a sophomore in college studying English education. I love writing poetry and fiction and everything in between, both for fun and for school. I have an anxiety disorder and I enjoy finding new ways to cope and to help others cope. I have seen firsthand the effects of mental illness on people who are close to me and I have also seen how our society views people who are neurodivergent. I hope to help someone by sharing my stories and by emphasizing that, no matter how you feel, you are never truly alone.
annie-obrien-1