Manpreet Virk's Story:

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According to studies done in the Western world, being Queer makes you more prone to developing mental illnesses. I always had anxiety. Kids never wanted to be my friend, and a lot of them made fun of my unibrow, long hair, and crooked teeth. Existing as a brown person was just hard on the playground. Loneliness became familiar, and I started living in my own world, constantly disassociating. At the age of 8, I was raped by my dad's brother, and that went on for 2 years. Middle school and high school left as fast as they came. During those years, Depression almost killed me. Suicide attempts were a common secret. Life became gray, and I lost hope because I felt like nobody understood me. For years, doctors couldn't figure out my chest pains or insomnia. Nobody screamed mental illness once. EKGs and X-rays always came back OK. I was the one to bring up anxiety to my doctor, and I had to be the one to educate myself + find resources. I'm currently being evaluated for ADHD. I switched doctors and started learning more about Mental health. Tumblr was a great resource for that. There came a point where I had to realize that nobody else was going to help me. I'm still struggling with my mental health, but I'm so much better now than I was five years ago. The piece of advice I would offer to others who are also struggling with mental illness(es): Don't allow your illness to prohibit you from living. nothing will change unless you seek professional help; It all starts with you.