Behind Lauren's Mind
I’ve been following the Behind My Mind campaign and I was truly inspired by the strong individuals around me to share my story. Since I was a child, I have suffered from depression and severe anxiety. I didn’t understand what made me different from those around me. When I confided in friends about the way I was feeling, they always made me feel like an outcast and they didn’t understand why I was feeling like this. This of course only made me feel worse and more anxious, so I decided to keep things to myself. As I got older and entered high school, I found myself throwing up and passing out when I was stressed out, I would stay in bed for days, and when I wasn’t anxious about uncontrollable things, I felt numb. I was caught between these two emotions I didn’t quite understand. I wanted to feel better but I didn’t know where to get help because I thought it was an incurable part of me. I suffered in silence for years. I lost friendships, my grades fell, I wasn’t sleeping, and I was eating an excessive amount. My life was falling apart in front of me and I was watching it happen. So I decided to talk to a Child and Youth Worker at my school.
She helped get me out of this awful place where I was able to seek further help. She gave me the confidence to talk to my mum and my doctor about medication and other ways to relax my mind and body. I don’t think I would be here today without the endless support I have gotten from her. I am learning how to let people in and trying to live one day at a time. This doesn’t mean everyday is perfect or that I don’t have days where I feel like I can’t do it anymore. I now know my worth and that I deserve to be here. The Behind My Mind campaign is so important and it lets people know they’re not alone. I encourage others to share their story and take the time to send positive energy to those around them because you never know what happens behind others’ minds.