I am the kind of person you look at and think “they have their shit together”. I have completed a law degree, managed a successful skincare store in London and generally appear to have a lot going for myself.
However, when I was 16 I was diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety, after suffering from the symptoms for a couple of years. I am now 25 and am well practised in the art of masking these symptoms from those around me.
I cope successfully most of the time, sometimes for months or even years, however there are recurring periods in my life where I reach what can only be described as a crisis point; I am no longer capable of hiding my symptoms, I cut myself off from the world and those closest to me, and the simplest of tasks become impossible.
This last occurred in September 2016 and lasted a couple of months, and I am now beginning to recover. I have decided to start this blog to coincide with Metal Health Awareness Week in order to raise awareness of the realities of living with depression and anxiety.
People assume it’s a mild ‘thing’ like a cold……..it’s not. It is a condition you live with. Some days are better than others and when we’re lucky we can get up, put on our smile and get through another day…….Good luck!
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