Under any circumstance, if someone hasn’t experienced something that you have, they will never truly understand how you feel. Unfortunately, this applies to mental illness. These past five years have been very difficult to get through, and within this time frame, I’ve realized that it was mainly because the people I cared about most didn’t understand what I was going through and why I needed to focus on my anxiety and depression.
The Best Thing You Can Do
As someone who suffers from anxiety and depression, I can tell you that the best thing that you can do is offer your support.
How You Can Help
An anxiety attack feels as if you’ve lost complete control of your body. You wish you could escape the shaking of your body, the pounding of your heart, and inability to breathe, but all you can do is struggle. Ask your loved one how you can help. If they need you there to calm them down and get them water, do it. Ask them if they need time alone. If so, give them space. If they don’t feel comfortable at a public event, leave the crowd and help them! Do what you can to assure them that they’ll be okay. Depression consumes its victims with negativity, causing them to live their lives hopeless, lonely, and empty. Remind your loved one why they’re important to you. It is not expected for you to know exactly what they’re going through, but putting effort into your relationship, and letting them know that they aren’t going through their struggles alone is extremely helpful.
How I Cope With My Anxiety and Depression
I’ve found that the best way for me to take my mind off the darkness and negativity in my life, is to distract myself with activities that I’m passionate about. Being that I am an art major, it is no surprise that I rely on creative outlets to do so. Whether I’m making sketches that reflect the mood I’m in or jotting my ideas down in a journal, getting my thoughts down on paper helps clear my mind.
The Meaning Behind My Tattoo
Being that this was my first tattoo, I wanted to get one that was simple yet meaningful. Project Semicolon is a movement whose main goal is to prevent suicide and helps inform people about mental illness. In a sentence, a semicolon is used to continue a sentence rather than just ending it with a period. The semicolon on my wrist represents how I could have ended my life, but decided not to. I had the option of ending my short and sad life, but decided to power through and continue and see what the future holds.
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