“You are worth living and being around to experience joy.”

Share your stigma experience.

I was struggling from severe depression and anxiety after having a hysterectomy at 32. I hadn’t slept in 2 days and my brain told me the best thing to do was to cut myself. I’ve never been a cutter. Anxiety has been with me for as long as I can remember; literally, I remember being 4 or 5 and having a panic attack with no frame of reference to describe it to my family. This urge to cut was completely new to me though. After the experience, I shared an article on Facebook about suicidal thoughts. The next thing I know, my mother-in-law is calling my husband saying her NEIGHBOR saw the post and wanted me to “stop posting things like that”. I was floored. She didn’t ask if I was okay, she didn’t ask someone to check on me – she just wanted me to stop putting my struggles out there into the world. Honestly, it still hurts when I think about it. If I hadn’t been in a better frame of mind when that phone call came in, it could have sent me over the edge. I’m sure there are plenty of people who have gotten that phone call and it DID send them over the edge. Just… think before you make a call like that. Don’t make the “don’t make me deal with your problems” call. Make the “I had no idea your problem was this bad” call.

How did you overcome this experience?

How did you overcome this experience? (up to 100 words) I can’t give my husband enough credit. The scariest thing I’ve ever done was ask him for help and he got me the help I needed. He handled his mother and the neighbor, but all of that seems really small compared to my own brain. I can get mad at the neighbor and make a snarky Facebook comment… and then I can close Facebook and go on with my day. I can’t close my brain. If my husband hadn’t been there for me then, I don’t think I’d be here now.

Help others by sharing a brief, positive message.

There is always help. No matter how terrifying it feels to ask for it – there is help for you. Someone cares. If you need somebody to tell you that you’re worth it, then this is me telling you. You are worth living and being around to experience joy.