By Zakeriah Thomas

Ever since I was a young child I knew I was different. As if I just saw the world either move too fast or too slow. I had a lot of problems growing up. From my random outbursts, to my extremely low points. And as a young child I had no idea how to handle it, how to process it, let alone talk about it. I remember trying to tell my family that I was different and that things were hard, but they couldn’t understand. When I got older I realized that something needed to change, and I needed to know why I was having the thoughts that I was having, and why I was acting and feeling how I was feeling. I started to go to therapy and I was told that I have Depression, Severe Anxiety, and Bipolar Disorder. At first I had no idea how to take that information in. Honestly I was scared, and I didn’t want anyone to know. I was ashamed of who I was. I was ashamed that I couldn’t lead a “normal” life. It took so long for me to find the right meds, and still to this day they aren’t that effective. Over the years I’ve learned to grow, and love myself. I had to basically rebuild myself. I lost friends and gained friends because of it. The stigma around mental health is such a heavy load for any person to carry. I’m aware of my flaws, and I embrace them with open arms. That’s all I can do. I’ve had so many challenges over the past 19 years, but to be able to come from where I’ve come from…I wouldn’t have it any other way. #StompOutStigma