J.K Rowling has not kept it a secret that she battles with mental illness. Many aspects of Harry Potter were created to represent this struggle, so here are 20 quotes I have found most inspiring.

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1. “Thoughts could leave deeper scars than almost anything else.”

Anyone who struggles with mental illness knows that it is our thoughts that cause us more pain than any physical object ever could.

2. “Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it

We all have ways of numbing our pain, whether it be through alcohol, pills, self harm or something else: it never stops the pain from happening. It only delays the pain and hits you that much harder when you finally let it.

3. "No good sittin' worryin' abou' it. What's comin' will come, an' we'll meet it when it does." - Hagrid

Not knowing when your next depressive episode, panic attack or manic episode will happen is awful. However, you just have to let it happen when it happens, stop worrying and enjoy life in the moment.

4. “Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right”

When dark times hit you, sometimes it's easier to just shut yourself away from the world. Instead, you have to do what is right and keep moving forward.

5. "I say there are spots that don’t come off… Spots that never come off, d’you know what I mean" - Mad Eye Moody

To those who struggle, our mental illness is our spots. They may never come off, but that's ok.

6. “It is important,” Dumbledore said, “to fight, and fight again, and keep fighting, for only then could evil be kept at bay, though never quite eradicated.”

Never stop fighting. Even if you are only able to keep the struggle at bay for a short while, you have to keep fighting.

7. “I am what I am an’ I’m not ashamed. ‘Never be ashamed,’ my ol’ dad used ter say, ‘there’s some who’ll hold it against you, but they’re not worth bothern’ with.’ - Hagrid

People who do not understand mental illness may hold it against you and treat you different, but that should not make you ashamed of who you are. Like Hargrid's dad said, "they are not worth bothering with."

8. "You care so much you feel as though you will bleed to death with the pain of it.”

For some, their mental illness can cause them to be extremely sensitive. You feel the pain of the world around you, and as much as you try not to care, it slowly consumes you.

9. “The world isn’t split into good people and Death Eaters. We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.

Mental illness is not black and white. You are not constantly struggling, depressed or "dark". But at the same time, everything is not always "light". However, how we choose to act upon the light and dark makes us who we are.

10. “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean it is not real?”

Mental illness is not a tangible thing people can see. It is an invisible disease that happens inside of your head. Just because no one can see it, does not mean it is any less real.

11. "Don't let the Muggles get you down" - Ron Weasley

People will try to break you, but just listen to Ron and don't let them make you feel like any less of a person than you are.

12. “What you fear most of all is – fear. Very wise”

Especially when it comes to anxiety, fear is your greatest enemy.

13. “We must try not to sink beneath our anguish, Harry, but battle on.” - Albus Dumbledore

Continuing to fight is the hardest battle one can face, but it is also the bravest.

14. "Working hard is important. But there is something that matters even more, believing in yourself" - Harry Potter

Recovery is something you have to work at continuously, however, all that hard work means nothing if you don't believe in yourself.

15. "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light.

This is not meant in the sense that, "you should just be happy." What inspires me about this is that no matter how dark your battles can get, there is always a light. There is always something worth continuing on for.

16. “You sort of start thinking anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve." - Ginny Weasley

If there is anyone we should all take a little more advice from, it is Ginny Weasley. Like Ginny, you can survive going through hell, (or being possessed by Lord Voldemort) and still do the impossible. It helps if you have brother like Fred and George too!

17. “Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery.”

In order to become stronger in terms of mental illness, you have to first understand what is going on. There are so many components to mental illnesses and once you start to understand those, and accept what you are dealing with, then you will start to recover.

18. "You're just as sane as I am" - Luna Lovegood

Mental illness or no mental illness, we all have a little bit of Luna in us, meaning we are as equally sane ;)

19. "Expecto Patronum" - Harry Potter

It wouldn't be a list of quotes to help with mental illness without this quote. J.K Rowling said this spell was created as a metaphor for fighting off depression. Whenever your down, cast this spell and tell those dementors to go away.

20. "All was well" - J.K. Rowling

Like Harry, you too will survive your battles. In the end, all will be well, and if it's not, it is not the end.