#WorldMentalHealthDay

There is so much stigma around Mental Health and it is definitely not taken as seriously as it should be. There is such a barrier between mental illness and physical illness which needs to be changed. You are not alone in your battle, there are so many people in the same boat. You never know what someone is going through in their life as they will most likely keep quiet about it but that doesn't mean that they aren't struggling. Nobody needs a reason to be depressed. It's not something you can just switch on and off. You don't tell someone with Cancer to "get over it". Illness, physical or mental, is not a choice!

PEOPLE WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS AREN'T CRAZY

PEOPLE WITH SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AREN'T ATTENTION SEEKERS

PEOPLE WITH ANXIETY AREN'T RUDE

PEOPLE WITH DEPRESSION AREN'T LAZY

DEPRESSION IS AN ILLNESS NOT A CHOICE

SOCIAL ANXIETY IS MORE THAN JUST BEING "SHY"

Always take a second of your time to just ask "Are you okay?". Even if they don't want to answer you or talk about their problems, that little question could make their day. A little bit of care can go a long way. I know not everyone likes to talk about their private life, especially mental health, but it's nice to know you are not alone. Personally, i never really like to talk about my personal experiences with any of this, and i don't feel like I'm in a good enough place to offer any advice as i haven't really found anything that works for me yet, but i'm working on it.

Asking for help doesn't make you weak or mean you are a failure. There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, it's not your fault. It shows such strength and courage to ask for help. When you hit rock bottom it gets to a point where you think 'I can't even be bothered to get better' but there will come a time when there will be a little bit of light to get you closer to the end of the tunnel - this may be weeks, months, even years. No matter how slowly you take the steps, it is a step in the right direction.

Whether you are recovered or recovering, here are a few of my favourite inspirational quotes and pictures. When I'm having a bad day, sometimes seeing one quote that i like can perk me up in the slightest way. The words will go round and round in my head all day.

I have a tattoo on my back "Without the dark, we'd never see the stars" - I absolutely fell in love with this quote and i can really relate to it. In a nutshell, without a few shitty moments in our life, we can't appreciate the good things that we've got. A little bit of good, comes with the bad. You've just got to hang on in there!