You are not alone.
Male, Age 24
For a large part of my life, I have struggled with social anxiety. However, over the past few years, it has gotten exponentially worse for a variety of reasons. My social anxiety makes be question every interaction with my friends and those around me, to the point where I feel as though they don't really want me around or are secretly annoyed by me, shaking my confidence and making it difficult to authentically interact with others.
This past year, my anxiety hit an all-time high and was very negatively affecting my friends, roommates, and anyone else around me. I became depressed and experienced a lot of suicidal ideation and feelings that everyone, including myself, would be better off if I didn't exist. At certain times this past year, those thoughts got a lot more intense, and I decided that I could no longer do this on my own.
I decided to try therapy and medication again and started focusing on being around the friends that I felt confident with. I have put a lot more work into my mental health toward the end of last year and am feeling much better going into 2022. There are still hard days, but every day, it gets a little easier.
Female, Age 30
I have lived with depression since 14 years old. For more than 10 years, I changed meds, doses, and even went on and off my regimens without consulting my doctors first. I always thought that I was ‘better’ and could handle it on my own. In 2018, I had a multi-day anxiety attack that culminated in a public panic attack complete with uncontrollable cry-screaming, rocking back and forth, and inability to complete thoughts. I was able to get to the hospital and placed back on medication. Of course, it took a while to regulate but, since that incident I have committed to staying on my medications and being open with my doctors, friends, and family.
Sometimes it's hard to remember that it has nothing to do with what I can handle; this is my brain, and my meds are its nutrients. I still have good and bad days, but I don’t experience the lows in the same way I did for all those years. I am so grateful for my meds and for my support system that is always open to speaking about brain health and wellness!
Real mental health testimonials like these can show us that we are not completely alone in the situations that we experience. If you feel comfortable, submit a testimonial of your own to be included on our page!