As you go through life you hear phrases such as, believe in yourself, anything can be done if you work hard enough, life is tough but so are you, etc. Sometimes you can believe those sayings and other times when you hear those words they just make you feel worse. People usually say these with good intentions but sometimes I don’t believe in myself and I don’t feel like I’m tough at all.

Those feelings are normal.

When you are feeling down, it is so easy to think that you can’t be smart, get your work done, feel pretty, or even be loved. Something happens when your fences are down and you allow all of these negative thoughts to infect your brain. It causes you to spiral even more out of control than you were before. This does not just happen to people with depression and anxiety but it can happen to anyone. While people with mental issues may experience it more frequently, that does not mean that others don’t feel that pain at some point. It is not easy to stop these invasive thoughts from docking in your brain. Just ask my parents, boyfriend, and friends, once my mind starts spiraling out of control it seems like all of these thoughts are correct and that I am worthless.

But that is so wrong.

I do not have a definite answer on how to stop these negative thoughts from entering and sticking inside your head but I do know that it is important to tell people what is going on. Support is something that everybody needs and it comes in many forms. The people who support you in times like this need to know that saying everything is going to be alright and you are so loved will usually not be able to fight those “I can’t” emotions. What does help is having someone just being there for you, bring you a meal, or a little surprise because as they say ‘actions speak louder than words.’

You Can.

In the moment that these horrible thoughts rush into your head, it seems impossible that they can’t be true. Trust me, this has happened to me many times. All I can say is that you can get through it. In the moment it might not seem like it but there is always an end to the suffering. It might take longer than others or be very quick, but once it’s over you know that you can do all those things that your brain was telling you that you couldn’t.

You are smart, you are brave, YOU ARE LOVED, you are beautiful, and you are a good person.

This isn’t an article telling that is saying everything will always be all right, because it won’t. What I am trying to express is that terrible things happen, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. It may be a speck on the horizon but never forget how you used to feel and that you haven’t always felt this bad. Do what makes you feel better in the moment like get ice cream or watch a movie, or anything that makes you happy (except illegal drugs those are bad and will not make you happy in the long run).

Life sucks sometimes, but it is oh so worth it.

Keep up the good fight and never be afraid to ask for help whether is from a family member, friend, or professionals.