There are days when I give up on myself, when I’m exhausted from dragging along the demotivated, indecisive, hopeless, tired, and restless version of myself. I wish there was a way to leave him entirely behind, or at least set him aside for a little while. Some days I don’t know what to do with myself anymore.

Sometimes my anxiety hits toxic levels. Many times, I don’t know whether what I’m experiencing is an anxiety, panic, or heart attack. It’s like my heart is pounding so intensely that it’s about to burst through my chest.

Saying ‘I’m fine’ is a lot easier than trying to explain the inexplicable and illogical feelings that constantly stalk me, and that is why the general public will never fully comprehend what people with a mental illness go through daily.

Be careful of judging or commenting on things beyond your frame of reference. Let us stop the stigma society has attached to sufferers of mental illness. People should not be negatively perceived because of their mental health status; not from an employment perspective, dating perspective, or any other perspective. The diagnosis is not necessarily the measure of the man!

Lastly, I want to encourage others to share their stories. Share your story through whichever creative outlet you are most comfortable with. Don’t underestimate your story’s motivational capacity! To you, your story may feel like a compilation of failures, disappointments, and hardships, but to others it may be a source of inspiration, perseverance, bravery, and strength.

I think dealing with a mental illness is something worthy of being a superhero.

It’s not about being an emo or a goth. Depression has many faces, jester, co-worker who is always smiling, a friend who always seems to have everything figured out, or a family member who appears to sail through life effortlessly. I don’t think an image of a typical depressed person exists.

Depression is like losing a loved one, but the person you lose is yourself.

I could use various words to describe depression: brutal, unrelenting, gruesome, terrifying, exhausting, and demanding, but all these words would be an understatement to describe its sheer intensity and unforgiving nature.

Mental health discussions should not hog the spotlight when celebrities are involved. Everything should not just be about the Chester Bennington’s and the Robin Williams’s of the world. Yes, they were truly remarkable people in their own right, but if we focus on helping the Average Joe or Plain Jane, we might unlock their ingenuity. Don’t overlook the ‘little man,’ everyone has something important to contribute to society, regardless of their socio-demographic background.