I know what it’s like to feel like a little fish in a big pond. I’ve been suffering with an anxiety disorder since September 2011 and it has completely changed my entire life and perspective on things. I remember sitting at a cast party with all of my friends and the sensation of not being able to breathe overwhelmed me. I ran downstairs to get my mother and I went into the bathroom to try and calm down. Nothing helped. I’ve gotten them every single day to this day. But that doesn’t mean it defines me.


The anxiety led to severe pain, both physically and emotionally. I became severely depressed, either eating too much or nothing at all. I often wondered if I was being selfish because people out there were dying and here I was, lying in bed for the 5th day this week, not doing anything. But, I realized sometimes it’s okay to take care of yourself and let yourself deal with things for a while.


People with disorders are often labeled as lazy, attention seeking, etc. etc… But that’s SO far from the truth. We’re people that have extra baggage and things we have to deal with. We’re warriors and we’re strong people. Demi Lovato, one of the biggest impacts on my life, has taught me to be strong no matter what you’re dealing with. It’s tough to climb out of the 40-foot well when you’re at the bottom with no ladder and you’re screaming, “Help me! Help me!” Sometimes nobody responds, so you have to help yourself.


I had to dig deep and find myself before I could come out stronger than before. I’m aware at this point you’re probably rolling your eyes and placing your pointer finger at the back of your throat along with a fake gagging noise, but the point of this is not to put out another sob story and have you feel sorry for me. I want you to be proud of me, look up to me and share what you’ve been through in your life.


You were made for a reason, and no matter how terrible life can be you can always get through it. You deserve so much more credit than you give yourself. In the end, it’s all about you and what you’ve done with your life. We all have our own stories that need to be told because we’re all warriors that survive the war of life. When you’re lying on your deathbed, do you want to look back and think of all the hard times, or do you want to look back on the times when you fought back?


Life is a game of tug-of-war. You’re going to hold on to the rope really, really tight, and, yes, sometimes you might fall. But you’ll always get back up and fight harder. Get help and talk it out. Life really gets better, and you should be around to see it. Stay strong.


This pain is only skin-deep.