What Mental Illness Struggles Do You Wish You Could Tell Everyone?

When living with bipolar, sometimes its okay if the only thing you did today, was breathe. Sometimes making it through the day is an accomplishment in and of itself.

Understand that anxiety can hit at any time. It doesnt just happen in 'stressful' moments. Anxiety means that at any given moment I can be stressing out about what might happen, what didnt happen, something that happened three years ago. Anxiety means that my mind never stops, I dont have peaceful moments. If I dont do something with you, it doesnt mean that I didnt want to, just that I am exhausted from dealing with my mind.

Please, please, PLEASE don't drag a friend with social anxiety to a crowded party, telling them that "they're just being silly".

Just how debilitating it really is. It's become so hard to just do normal daily tasks on a regular basis, let alone pursue my goals in life...

Sometimes just getting out of bed to be productive is a monumental task.

There are those nights when you fall asleep, completely prepared to wash the makeup off your arms and remove the bracelets in the morning, but when you wake up you not only have the makeup and the bracelets to cover the scars but also the biggest hoodie you can find. This is living with depression and self-harm day after day.

I really want to hang out with you. Being with friends makes me happy, but please, understand that I am scared. My anxiety gets the better of me. If I decide to come, it's already an effort, if I don't, know that I really, really appreciate that you think of me, I have no words to express it.

Having to go with a mask on when you don't really understand why you woke up, and your feelings are all mixed up.

When I lash out after you compliment or praise me, it isn't because I'm angry that you said that, it's because as soon as you said those kind things about me my self hatred and doubt screamed a thousand rebuttals as to why you were wrong, why I was worthless and that you were only pitying me. I wasn't lashing out in anger, I was lashing out in pain.

My emotions consume me. Whenever I'm having a bad month or so, it's so overwhelming that I can't even remember what it feels like to be "normal". And when it clears away, I'm so happy that I believe that I must have been imagining all the pain I was in before-- life is so good, how could I ever think the horrible things I thought just a week ago?

When you feel invisible long enough, you feel like you've always been invisible. When friends, family, or coworkers take you for granted and hardly talk to you, you wonder if you even exist. Talk to a "quiet" or "shy" person. They may have so much to tell you. They could be outgoing, but are too afraid to be themselves because they don't want to scare anyone by being too boisterous, loud, hyper, etc. Talk to them, but be yourself so they can gauge how far they can go. They judge themselves.

When you see scars on someone's wrists or something, and ask what they are even though you can tell, don't push the subject further than that if they shrug away the question. It's difficult to talk about and remember what the scars are from.

Increasingly I feel useless and hopeless and scared and living often feels like the ground under my feets is made of glass and I can fall through every second...

No one feels worse then me when I feel like I have to deny an invitation, but it's not personal.

I just know that I wouldn't be able to handle it.

I can relate to all of these. I have been bullied all of my school years, had my family fighting around me, belittled by my parents from my childhood-early adult years, beaten up by my dad until the age of 22 and sexually assaulted twice. Dad got help with his anger so no more beatings, but my dad's family, due to their historic issues, they don't speak to each other anymore. It all got too much in the end and as I was about to end my life, a certain song saved me and I'm forever thankful.

"You're only making excuses."
"Stop being lazy."
"It's all in the mind."
"Other people have it worse than you."

No. Just... no. These aren't helping at all.

Intellectually I see that life can be beautiful. That it is. I have beautiful and amazing adult children doing well. Grandchildren that fill me with joy. I have had my business for 21 years. People say I am good and successful. But in my heart, my bones, I can't own any of it. I feel it's not really me or I am a fraud because I smile and play happy but I am not. I now have a daughter, 17,suffering as well. I hope she at 52 doesn't feel same.

That the self doubts scream the loudest. Always ripping you apart & thinking the worst.

Have you ever heard about somniphobia? You probably haven't, and I'm not judging you for it, even the spellchecker says it's not a real word.
Somniphobia is the fear of falling asleep. Unlike insomnia, I CAN sleep, I just don't want to, because I'm scared that I'd never, ever wake up.
I didn't tell anyone because I thought I would scare them, but when I told my mother, she laughed at me, and told me that I was just overreacting.

That depression hinders even doing things you love the most. To feel too hollow and sad to go for a hike, read a good book, or play a game. It takes too much energy, and you are running on empty. And sometimes the only thing that gets you out of bed is that you have to feed the cats.