What if I never got help?

Who would I be now? What would I be like?

Would I speak to my family? Would I have any friends? Would I have pushed everyone away?

Would I have been able to get a job? Would I have graduated school? Would I have ever felt happiness again?

Would I have drank too much? Would I have taken too much? Would I have cut too deep? Would an eating disorder have killed me?

Would I even be alive? Would I have taken my own life? Would I have let it kill me?

Who would I be? Where would I be?

This all doesn't matter anymore, because I said one word: "help." It is crazy to think back on the lowest of lows that I have experienced with mental illness; personally, with anxiety, depression, and everything that comes with it. I don't know if I would still be here today if I wasn't able to recognize that I needed help and if I hadn't had the courage to ask for it. I needed help taking on something bigger than myself; something that has tried to engulf my life into its darkness time and time again. Sometimes, in life, things are thrown at us that we cannot simply handle on our own. Mental Illness is one of those things.

There is absolutely no shame in asking for help; your life and everything it is composed of are on the line. You are not weak; you are strong for knowing what you need. You are strong for taking care of yourself. You only get one life that is meant to be lived to its complete fullest. There is only one you to make the very best you. Never be afraid to ask for what you need; never be scared to tell someone you don't feel right. There is always help. You are never alone; someone else knows how you feel. Someone else wants to help you and understand what you are going through. It's up to you to take the first step in finding that.

The stigma of mental illness has changed for the better over the past few years, but it still has a long way to go. It should be completely normal to speak about it with no judgement and no assumptions. This can start and continue with you. End the stigma one step at a time, and make it easier for those suffering to get help. Stop the shame. You go to the doctor when you are sick physically; why is going to the doctor when you are sick mentally viewed so differently? Mental illness has a biological cause. The neurons in your brain are not firing the way they should; this effects how you feel, think, and act. If you notice any symptoms in yourself or someone you love, do something about it.

There are many things in this world that you cannot control, but you do have control over yourself and your decisions. You do have control over your health and happiness, even if sometimes it doesn't feel like it. There is always a step you can take in the right direction, no matter how small; doing something is better than doing nothing. If you are struggling with something, ask for help. That is the only way to begin feeling better. If you think someone else is struggling, ask them and do what you can do in your power to help. In the end, these decisions could be the best you have ever made. You could end up saving your own life or someone else's. Everyone is worthy of getting the help they need. Help others and please help yourself.

Mental Health Hotline Phone Numbers:

https://www.healthyplace.com/other-info/resources/...

https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/mental-health-...