Depression Disorder. Major Depression Disorder. Anxiety Disorder. Bipolar Disorder. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Eating Disorder. Stress.

There are over 200 confirmed forms of mental illness that affect 450 million people in the world.

Crazy. Psychotic. Insane. Sad. Miserable. Pessimistic. Negative. Annoying. Self-pity. Self-centered. Introverted.

All of these terms have been used to describe someone who suffers from a mental illness, and those are just a few of the thousands of stereotypes that come along with any disorder.

Major Depression Disorder. Anxiety Disorder. Stress.

I am personally affected by these three forms of mental illness.

Happy. Motivated. Hard-working. Optimistic. Selfless. Smiling. Positive. Out-going. Social.

Those are all characteristics I believe I carry, or I have been described by others as being any of those terms.

Life is hard. Every day, every single person faces a challenge, no matter how difficult. For some people, the hardest challenge they might face in a day is doing well on a test, or perfectly executing a meeting with their boss. For others, the most difficult activity of their day is simply getting out of bed, or not having an emotional breakdown at work. We all struggle sometimes- that's just a part of life. Everyone is different, therefore no one deals with their problems in the same way as another.

Before I was diagnosed, my most difficult task was getting out of bed. I sat back and watched as my grades plummeted, my friends stopped asking me to hang out, and my body withered away. I did not yet know how to cope with the way I felt every day, and had no idea why it was so difficult for me to enjoy my life. However, I would throw on a smile anytime I made it out of my bed and act like everything was okay, so no one would see the pain I was going through every single day.

I thought I was alone. I didn't think it was possible for anyone to understand what I was feeling. I was called crazy. I was accused of throwing myself a pity-party for no reason. I was told to stop being sad because I had no reason to be. I was told to just get over it. I started to believe what I was being told, and got so far down that I hit rock bottom; a place I never knew I was capable of reaching.

After years and years of suffering, one day I decided I was done. I couldn't take being so miserable every day, and I forced myself to see what was really happening to me. I searched for different methods on how to cope, and upon doing so I discovered so many different stories about people who had gone through the same thing as me. I read so many stories that random strangers had gone out and shared with the world- just so people like myself would know they were not alone in their struggles. I was so moved that I decided when I helped myself, I was going to do everything I could to help anyone else realize what I did: you are not alone.

I'm not afraid to admit I see a psychologist, or that I have to take two different medications every day for my depression and anxiety. I'm not afraid to talk about my past, because I am so proud of myself for the progress I have made, and the steps I am taking to progress even more.

The people who judged me, who defined me by my mental illness, see me now and see the person I really am. I have always been this person, but I have a condition out of my control I am forced to deal with every single day of my life. I went through a difficult time, but so does everyone.

My mental illness does not define me, and it does not define any of the 450 million people who are affected worldwide. We are just like everyone else, except we have to fight a little harder every day. I don't believe that shows weakness; instead, it shows just how strong we are. This is who we are, and we are not ashamed.

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