Dear reader,

There's a war that is not often talked about and rarely seen. Discussions on anxiety and depression are unfortunately still taboo to many. I hope that I can bring awareness to these topics and I have a desire to help give a voice to those who struggle with the war of the mind:

Anxiety is a panic for the future, reaching down into the present. Depression is an excruciating pain, living in the present, reaching down into the past. Fear and regret can arrive even when surrounding circumstances are good, while those past good moments can be like dreams that one can barely remember as time passes on; just as the details of a dream fade away upon one's awakening. It is at this point when all hope seems to be lost.

When depression and anxiety are at its strongest, self-harm and suicide can become an instinct. These urges can get so intense that it may feel as if one has to hold their breath in order not to give into those urges. However, I want to remind you that it is always possible to not give in.

Despite what you may feel right now, the constant truth is that you are a beautiful soul. Know that this world is made so much better because you exist. Don't forget that you that you are loved and that love goes beyond a feeling. So whenever you struggle with self-worth, look through the eyes of those who love you to recognize that you are amazing.

If you have fallen, then rise. When you fall again, rise again. If you struggle to rise by yourself then don't hesitate to reach out for help. You are not alone in your struggles. Whenever you fall, be patient with yourself, yet determined in rising again. The people whose lives you've enriched and the lives you've yet to touch need you. As long as you have life, it always possible to get up again, no matter how many times one falls or how dramatic the fall is. You will rise. Victory is yours!

To summarize it all, I'll leave this poem which I wrote for you:

Anxiety is a panic from the future, reaching down into the present. Depression is a painful sadness in the present, reaching down into the past. Self-harm and suicide are floodwaters that can threaten to burst through the barriers within the mind; though choice is not a slave to those urges. Love is a dedication to stay around for others because they do care, to inspire all, and it's a recognition of self-worth that goes beyond a feeling. To be human is to fall but determination is the ability to be patient and to rise every time. Comfort is the reality that you are wanted, needed, and that you never have to fight your demons alone.