Personal Narrative: Recovering My Mental Illness

My mental illness is something that I believe goes unnoticed, but that is also a substantial part of my life. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression when I was in elementary school, and at that point it was very mild. However, as I began to get older, my anxiety grew with me; by the time I was in high school, it was almost debilitating.

At a few points in my life, my anxiety and depression were so overwhelming that I truly believed that the only way to escape my demons was to end my life. These thoughts first occurred when I was a freshman in high school. I was in such enervate despair that I did not even want to try to get better, and consequently I made the mistake of not taking my hospitalization very seriously. Because of this, I reached another breaking point during my sophomore year. Thankfully, my attempt was not successful and during my second hospitalization I was much more determined to overcome my mental illness. I was lucky enough to be hospitalized in an incredible facility with doctors

I am making friends, participating in school, and learning every day how to continue to grow. One thing I have gained from my experience is a more open minded and understanding perspective on life. As I have gained this broader perspective, my empathy towards others has also increased. This empathy has instilled in me a passion to help others the way that the staff at the hospital helped me. I have developed a desire to help adolescents struggling with mental illness, inspiring me to pursue a psychology degree in order to become a therapist.

My struggles with mental illness have also taught me the importance of perseverance, drive, and dedication. I have learned to never give up, even if it may seem difficult. Juggling work and extracurricular activities while also managing my depression and anxiety has been a challenge. However, by persevering through these adversities, I have been able to achieve great success in my