When reading these, I hope you don't just think of those who fit the picture. Mental illness doesn't discriminate. I chose to start this post with this quote because everyone needs to know this going into this post. I encourage you to keep these words in mind when reading this post. While these responses are from real people and people you might even know, remember that the point of reading this post is to learn more about the experiences people face living with mental illnesses, NOT to try to figure out who wrote what. I myself have not the slightest clue who wrote these. The people behind these quotes could be anybody, but that is not my business nor anyone else's unless they choose to share that with you.  Outfit Details: "Mental Health Matters" Tee | Denim Skirt | Puff Ball Tennies (Similar) | Earrings (Similar) | Scarf (Similar) | Belt (Similar) | A super cute California boutique sent me this belt and I LOVE it! Get 15% off your Jasper Plum purchase with my code "PRINCESSINTHEMIRROR15" :) This post was inspired by this "mental health matters" tee shirt from Dazey LA. I 100% stand behind this brand. All of their tee shirts promote important conversations we need to be having, mental health being one of them. I've been wrestling with this blog post for weeks. What do I say? Will this sentence upset people? How do I write a blog post over something I haven't experienced? And I've concluded that it's not me you guys need to hear from. It's those who struggle with it daily that you need to hear it from.  I created a Google Docs that was completely, 100% anonymous. I posted on my Instagram story asking those who struggle with mental illness/those who are close to somebody who struggles to fill it out. I asked a lot of questions (which were optional to answer) about types of mental illnesses and their experiences living with one. Reading the responses broke my heart into pieces. To think that people who are in my life struggle with this daily is so sad and scary.  So while I have my own thoughts about mental health, I don't think it's my place to speak about it. I encourage you to read these quotes and mentally store the quotes that stood out to you. Reading these responses has taught me a lot about mental illness, how to respond to it, and most of all, not to take for granted my daily struggles. My problems seem much smaller than the problems of those who responded to this post. SO, without further ado, get to reading!  On bad days, you just beat yourself up and feel like no one is there for you. It's hard seeing someone you love feel so low when you look at them and they are actually so loved! My biggest fear is finally attempting to open up to someone and being viewed as weak, or that I'm overreacting. When going through an attack, I usually prefer for people for the people around me to talk to me--no matter how meaningless their words are. Even getting out of bed to take a shower is nearly impossible for me. I've only had two attacks and both times I was so embarrassed afterwards. I felt judged. I find myself struggling with nervousness and anxiousness when it comes to work events, people texting me back, and even just waiting to go somewhere. Think before you speak because the slightest thing might trigger anxiousness. It's a treatable medical condition but it seems like it's a never-ending struggle to live. Some people have mental illnesses, but we all struggle in life. It just makes those people's struggles even harder. They feel things stronger than you do and a simple thing like your reaction could potentially end someone else's life. I would never want anyone else to feel this. It just makes everyday a battle against myself and my will to live. The way you interact in the lives of people who struggle make a big impact. I wish they wouldn't treat me differently, like I'm fragile and can't go places because I might change the mood. I can still be happy, it's just hard for me to stay happy. It's hard for me to be alone. I would just want someone to be willing to support me without knowing all the details. I wish more people would be open to the fact that mental illnesses can be crippling. I honestly barely remember my birthday the year that my depression was at my worst because everything was a blur during that time. Nothing stood out to me as important except the times that I was sobbing and cutting myself. Those times were when I FELT something. It wasn’t until I started recovering and stopped cutting myself that I began to realize that I didn’t need to do any of that. I just THOUGHT that it helped. I can’t go to stores by myself without having an anxiety attack or be alone without crying. Always think before you speak or act because you never know what that person could be going through at the moment. It’s better if someone just listens. At times I’m miserable and at times my heart feels like it’s going to run out of my chest! Calm everything down! This is so important. During episodes or attack people experience over sensitivity. A bright light in the room or people talking on the radio go from normal things, to stressors. Empathy can be hard, especially when you haven’t experienced mental illness before. If you want to understand better, think of a time you have been terribly scared or anxious. The difference is, the person suffering feels like that most of the day. Mental illness is chronic, which means it can last for a very long time, or come and go. But that doesn’t mean you can get used to being scared or sad! On Instagram, my life looks pretty great! The helplessness is almost tangible. I just wish people wouldn’t see me AS my illness. I’m not a depressed person, I’m a person who struggles with depression. Some days are good, some days are bad. The bad days are hard to predict. It’s hard sometimes to go about daily life, but I know I need to. Please always consider the people around you. You never know who may be struggling, who may be seeing sunlight for the first time in days, who needs help. You never know, so just be kind. Don’t treat those with mental illness any differently. It’s just a roadblock in their day. I worry about almost everything, and to some people it's a "boy who cried wolf" kind of thing. Sometimes I become overwhelmed with worry and anxiety, and that's when the panic attacks happen. It becomes hard to breath, usually I start crying, and everything that could go wrong inside my head swirls around. Just because somebody has a mental illness, that illness does not define them. They are more than that, and you should absolutely not put limitations on that person because you think they can't accomplish something. Just because you don’t experience it doesn’t mean it’s not real. There’s not really a good way to react, it’s a touchy subject and it’s really hard for people to console you when they find out about something like that. Maybe just a hug or words of encouragement or something. You have to bring yourself back to reality and realize that you are safe and okay and everything around you is okay. DO NOT ever judge someone on the way their depression has made them act in the past. It is very hard to be vulnerable with someone for the first time – like letting them in to all of the mess your mind is comprised of – only for them to not be receptive in how big of a deal that is for people like me With depression, I can feel so lonely and unloved. While I do feel like my struggles have made me a stronger person, I would have rather found that strength in other ways, not through a chemical imbalance. I think it’s important to show everyone compassion. There is a lot of stigma that surrounds mental health + many mental illnesses are masked by lots of different emotions. So, the next time you think someone was really rude or way too happy or outgoing, try to empathize the underlying reasons they feel that way instead of reacting with aggression or instincts.  I know there were tons of quotes but I narrowed them down as much as I could! I hope these quotes struck up feelings in your hearts and prompted you to make changes to the way you treat/perceive people. I think those of us that don't struggle with mental health should be thankful for that blessing but also work harder to empathize with those who do struggle.  If you guys liked this deeper post, leave me a comment below and let me know. I love taking my blog a step further by talking about more than just fashion and beauty.  
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