SUNDAY STRENGTH #12

(photo credit: emilystepp.com)

Robin Williams. He was such an incredibly loved person & he will be dearly missed. When I heard of his passing and the circumstances surrounding his death, I developed such a heavy heart. I have suffered a long time with mental illness but I eventually got the help I needed and thankfully, I am able to live a happier life. However for some people, including Robin, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel isn't always that easy. My sister, my uncle, my friends and so many people around me have also suffered with mental illness and I know how hard it can be. In this Sunday Strength I wanted to reach out to anyone who reads this. Whether you are following my blog or you read it from time to time, or you have randomly stumbled across this page.. this is for you.

Whatever pain you are feeling, whatever sadness is in your heart, it can get better. Battles can be won. WARS can be won. All that darkness can eventually turn into light. Now I know some of you are thinking "well thats easy for her to say" or "she has no idea what I'm feeling" and "I've been living like this for years, how will I ever get out". Trust me, there was a time where I would sit on my bed with hundreds of pills. There was a time where I was self harming every single day, I was so used to it, it didn't even hurt anymore. I know how you feel, I really really know how you feel. Sometimes we are made to feel like if you have a mental illness then, well too bad for you, you just need to live with it. Im here to tell you that anyone who has said that, or made you feel like that (even if its your own voice in your head) THEY ARE ALL WRONG. You can get through this, you can be happy and you can learn how to control your demons. You can't be defeated when you are stronger than them. 

It breaks my heart to think people who read my blog or watch my videos, people like YOU - battling depression, an eating disorder, body image issues, anxiety, bi polar, personality disorder.. anything & you think you can't overcome this, you think that this cloud will be here forever, it won't. Yes, mental illness isn't something that will disappear and we can't just make it go away, but we CAN learn how to live a wonderful fulfilling life.

If you are suffering or you know someone who is suffering then please speak up. Talk, scream it from the fucking rooftops if you want too. I got through it, I live a relatively normal life (what's normal anyway haha) and I want you to know that you can too. You deserve to be happy - everyone single you.

USEFUL LINKS:

http://www.youngminds.org.uk/

http://www.mind.org.uk/

http://www.b-eat.co.uk/

http://www.sane.org.uk/

http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/

http://www.childline.org.uk/Pages/Home.aspx

http://elefriends.org.uk/

http://www.samaritans.org/

I can't always be there for you personally, but I try my best to make someone's day that little bit easier. Tweet me if you ever need a little pick me up. You guys saved my life, I owe you!