Time To Nip It In The Bud 👊👋

Just to let you all know, I’m so nervous to be posting and sharing this😬😬😬😬!!

I promised myself that this is something I would never write about, but it’s something that’s been really bugging me lately and I feel like if I write about it I will feel some sense of relief? (If that makes sense)
In my opinion, it seems within society today claiming you have anxiety or depression is ‘trendy’ and in some sickening sense ‘cool’. 

As a matter of fact, it’s really NOT cool and is NOT trendy. 

Speaking from first hand experience, depression is something that really does engulf you and take over your life. It almost feels like you’re trapped in this black hole; so far down that you can’t get out. This metaphor represents the sadness that you feel, and how you feel like there is totally no way to escape it. Now someone please tell me, how is that cool? How is it cool to feel like you live in this bottomless pit of nothing? 
Yes, I know what most of you are thinking: “urgh what an emo”. This brings me onto my next point; you are most definitely NOT an emo if you feel depressed. If you know me, you will know that I’m quite far from an emo (although I do wear a lot of black), I love pinks and other bright colours. People have the association that if you are depressed you are one of those stereotypical emo’s, when in actual fact, that’s not true. Think about the diverse amount of people within society today; I sometimes think to myself, how can there be any stereotypes when there is a vast array of different individuals within society? Next time you see a stranger, or even one of your friends, look at them and maybe just take into consideration that they may be suffering with a mental illness too.
Mental illness. It sounds awful doesn’t it? It sounds like you should be locked up in an asylum or handcuffed to a stretcher. However, in fact, we are actually just struggling with an aspect of our lives, as to which we are not emotionally and mentally stable. I feel like the stereotype associated with ‘mental illness’ is where people think we’re crazy, when in actual fact we are normal, we are just struggling with something – surely that can’t make you crazy, we’re all human, right?

Anxiety is really becoming a ‘trend’ at the moment, and it honestly makes me sick. Having anxiety is where you find certain daily tasks a struggle, such as paying for something in a shop to even going to school. Anxiety is something I have battled with since I was young, and even today it still hits me very hard and it is a struggle to cope with. You are constantly feeling paranoid and being extremely cautious about your actions, and also the repercussions of your actions, as to which this stops you from doing easy tasks. It’s sad to think that society has turned this term into a trend, and that by saying ‘I have anxiety’ is considered cool and might even get you some extra brownie points (pft🙄). I even feel afraid to tell people that I suffer from anxiety or that I had a panic attack, because I feel like they won’t believe me because those terms are thrown around and used way too loosely.

Battling with both anxiety and depression is extremely hard; some days it’s easy, and some days it’s tough. Remembering that it truly cannot be this way forever, and that ‘only myself can really define who I become’ helps me immensely get over certain periods where I feel like nothing.

I felt like this matter needed to be addressed and nipped in the bud, as it is something close to home which truly affects many people everyday.

See you next Tuesday,
Scarlett x