I Know How It Feels

I know how it feels to feel alone. I know how it feels to be alone. I know how you feel when you say you are completely broken. I know, I understand, I see you and I am here for you. Nothing is worse than your brain telling you that you will not be enough. But I am here to tell you that you are enough, you will make it and you will be okay. You might not be okay today, tomorrow or even in a year, but I promise you that if you just hang on, you’ll survive. And one day, you won’t just survive, but you will thrive.

Surviving is hard. Convincing yourself that it will get better is hard. Living is hard. I know because I have been there. I have not wanted to wake up or see another day, yet, here I stand. I feel like I have survived up to this point so that I can share my story to help you even just want to survive for another day. I am here and I want you to be, too.

I started sharing parts of my story a few years ago on Twitter. I shared it just as a way to begin my own healing and to help myself understand all the things I had been through. Surprisingly, it has created so many wonderful friendships and to this day, I still get messages from people saying that me sharing my stories, have helped them help through their own. It still makes me tear up a little bit. I will share my story every single day if it means helping even one person know that they are not alone. Knowing you are not alone is one of the biggest steps towards your own healing.

I have struggled with depression since I was a young child. I have also struggled with anxiety and have PTSD. It is never, never easy to deal with mental illness. So much shame, pain and sorrow comes through just mental illness alone. And adding any type of trauma on top of that just makes it even harder. Therapy, medications and holistic approaches have slowly but surely helped me begin my own healing. I have worked in mental health so that I can help others and I plan on continuing to do that for as long as I live, in some capacity. But enough about me. I want you to look at yourself and those around you and see if you notice any of those issues in yourself or someone else that you may know and love.

I wanted to write this piece because this is a hard year for everyone. It is a hard season. Mental illness, grief, being alone, being set back on your goals and dreams .. all of these are hard factors when you consider your own mental well-being and those around you as well. While you are struggling to survive, those around you probably are, too. We all go through hard times and the things that have always worked for me are companionshiop. Even just having someone hold you while you cry can be the best feeling. Making sure that you take care of yourself is also a key element in getting better. But my goal of this piece was not ever to preach to you or make you feel unworthy. You are so loved and cared for and you are not and never will ever be alone. You should never feel ashamed about your feelings, your emotions or what you do to survive through the hard times. You are enough and always will be enough. Keep fighting the good fight and never give up.

National Suicide Hotline (800)-273-8255