Shreya Patel's Story:

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I was debating writing this piece when @mhspotlight approached me at the beginning of this year but after months on contemplating, here it is! I hope my story can help someone somewhere and give them the courage to change when nothing seems to work or make sense. 

Growing up in a South Asian family where any sort of a metal illness is a taboo or believed that all of it is just a "mind thing" that can be changed if you really wanted to, it use to be hard for me to accept that I dealt with anxiety issues myself but didn't even know what it was when it was happening! An emotionally abusive relationship was the cause of my solid anxiety for couple of years. The anxiety attacks felt like I was a fish trying to survive without water.I was quite young and scared and didn't know who to tell and felt lonely.

There is a warrior in all of us. My warrior self told me to leave and change my environment. When you are in a terrible situation, you can't think straight but when you are far away from it, it makes you realize a lot. It took some time to recover, though sometimes it does trigger and come back, I know how to handle it and be stronger. 

To anyone from suffering from anxiety or any sort of a mental illness or to anyone who feel lonely and don't know what's happening to themselves, you have to force yourself to find your inner strength and take a step towards a better you by asking for help.

To anyone in any sort of an abusive relationship, may it be with their partner, family or friends, remember that they don't determine your worth nor your power or strength. Someone treating you negatively is just a reflection of who they are and they are just projecting that on to you. You are powerful and you are enough! Believe it!

Don't give up your fight against mental illness and a powerful better you. You can do it, you warrior human