28 Memes That Are Too Relatable If You're a 20-Something With a Mental Illness

Contrary to popular belief, being a 20-something isn’t all ridiculously-priced avocado toast and Instagram-worthy lattes. Though we want to believe our 20s will automatically be the “best years of our lives,” sometimes they just aren’t — especially if mental illness is part of the mix.

This is something Mighty contributor Paige Haeffele wrote about in her piece, “What It’s Like to Be a 20-Something Living With Depression and Anxiety.”

As a 20-something young girl, I should be ”living my best life,” as they say. From the outside looking in, I am. I hang out with my friends, do yoga, go to therapy, work hard on my Bachelor’s degree and maintain a steady job. Though this is leaps and bounds from where I was even just last year (extremely suicidal, self-injuring on the daily, medically withdrawing from school, struggling to get to work and even struggling to get to therapy), I’m far from full recovery.

If you can relate, we want you to know you aren’t alone and there is no shame in struggling with mental illness. And while there’s nothing funny about struggling with your mental health in your 20s, sometimes a little self-aware humor can go a long way in making you feel less alone. It’s true memes can’t “cure” mental illness (we wish!), but sometimes they can bring a smile to your face when you’re struggling.

If you are a 20-something struggling with mental illness, this one’s for you: