I suffered from mental health issues throughout high school and college but was never clearly diagnosed during those times of my life. Part of that may have been because my symptoms first manifested as more physical – stomach pains, chest pains, headaches – and I never truly opened up about what was going on inside my head until much later.
I hope my story inspires and helps people who are suffering to feel less alone and know they will not always be in a dark, frightening, despairing place. We can rise above and every day I am so thankful for the science and medication that have given me my life back.