“Remember – believe in yourselves, dream, try, do good.”

Share your stigma experience.

When I was battling with depression and anxiety everyone just kept telling me that it was all in my head. I just wanted to hit them all in the back of the head and tell them off most of the time. I mean having depression and anxiety is a battle that you have to fight all by yourself. You’re sent off to war when you never signed up for it and nobody really quite understands what you’re going through because it’s different for everyone. One day it just got so bad that I couldn’t handle the outside world so I went to Regions Hospital in Saint Paul. Everything around me was just falling to pieces and I didn’t want to be shown as weak, or anything ‘less than’. I always help out other people but refused others when they wanted to help me.

How did you overcome this experience?

I went in to Regions Hospital in Saint Paul and found that it was ok to ask for help. I also started really listening to Demi Lovato and the lyrics in her song. Every time I listen to her songs I feel like she is right here beside me. I have always been a huge fan of hers. I mean since the beginning. I think that’s why she is so popular. She understands what we are going through and she helps us as much as we help her.

Help others by sharing a brief, positive message.

I just wanted to remind everyone of Mr. Feeny’s final lesson. “Remember – believe in yourselves, dream, try, do good.”