Here We Are *Trigger Warning*

Since I can remember, I’ve had mental illness all around me. My mother deals with Anxiety and sometimes Depression, though she doesn’t want to admit it. My sister has gone through horrible situations leading to issues I can’t imagine. Then there’s me. I’ve had Anxiety and Depression almost all my life. I never knew what it was and I didn’t know how to deal with it until the 9th grade. Since then I’ve been on a rollercoaster of Downs…sometimes Ups too. It wasn’t until my Sophomore year that things got really bad. I suffer from sexual violence, my first experience being with a girl. That raised my anxiety to heights I didn’t know I could reach. For a long time I didn’t like myself because of it. When things finally started feeling a little better, I was sexually assaulted once again my Senior year of high school, by a boy this time. I spiraled deeply and I didn’t think there was a way out. I am learning everyday how to cope with it still, some days I can tell you are better than others. Surrounding myself with people who are here for me has been the first step in helping myself grow. Now that I am graduated, I’m looking for ways to use my voice and reach out to those who are suffering, just like me. We can do this and I am proud of where we are headed.