"Fixing your mental health isn't like surgery. We can't just run the blood work and check the vitals. With mental health, progress is way harder to measure. And if something's wrong, we have to take action. There's a lot of uncertainty. There's a lot of fear. And what might be easy for one person, for someone else might take inner strength you can't even imagine. But we have to try. We have to stand up to our demons. We have to face reality whenever possible and ask for help when we can't. And when we do that, healing is possible." - Meredith Grey

I've been struggling with my mental health since I first got into high school.

In college, I was diagnosed with depression and social anxiety. This led me to get put on antidepressants and visiting a variety of different therapists. I am now off of my antidepressants as well as no longer in therapy. Sometimes when I have bad days where I can't get out of the dark thoughts in my head, I try my best to look at what coping skills I have acquired in my toolbox after therapy and my short amount of time in a mental health facility. These include journaling, venting to the people in my life that I know care about me and will give me beneficial advice and support, and keeping myself distracted with things such as watching my favorite shows and running errands.

It's easier said than done to try to just change your way of thinking. I tend to get into my darkest thoughts when I'm constantly viewing things in a negative light and which I could change into an optimistic person with the snap of a finger.

Overall, I'm a strong believer that therapy and medication definitely helps. However, I had become dependent on my medicine as a crutch when I was on it for over a year. Through my mental health journey, I have learned a lot about myself specifically dealing with things that have made me who I am and dealing with a lot of my own self-truths.

The main thing I have learned through my mental health journey is to not be ashamed of where you are in your mental health journey. Support others in your life because they may be going through similar things. You are stronger than any mental illness. There is always a better day ahead. Bad days are just that, days and days are only 24 hours long and don't last forever.