It's Mental Health Awareness Week 💛, so I thought I'd share something I haven't before to many people at all in my life or online - my struggles with depression and anxiety. My last year of high school, I became a complete mess. I don't remember what triggered it really, I actually don't remember a lot from that entire year. My friends since have told me things that happened I had completely blocked out! I know part of it was that I got my first proper boyfriend, (who, side note, it turned out to nobody's surprise except mine was gay and came out/dumped me only 2 weeks before prom, but that's another story!) and he lied a lot - not things that mattered really, but he would tell wild stories that were obviously not true, and it ended up putting me at odds with a lot of my friends. My best friend (who now calls herself my platonic 'starter girlfriend' 😂) tried to get me to see how ridiculous he was, but instead we ended up not speaking for most of the year. (She'd obviously not seen The Bachelor or she'd know, the girl who tries to warn the Bachelor of someone not there 'for the right reasons' ALWAYS goes home 🌹) It wasn't his fault of course, but whatever happened within me that year, I went from an overachieving straight A student to one had to transfer out of calculus to avoid failing it, I was anxious, depressed, isolated from some of my friends and a total nightmare for my parents. I tried a few different medications, which did help manage it, but I just didn't know who I was or what I wanted to do with my life, which meant that things didn't really get better. I went off to university in a different state, but struggled to adjust and to live a happy and productive life. At spring break that year I just packed everything into my car and drove home, at very little notice. My parents then sent me to a life coach, to see if I could get some direction and some help that wasn't just medicated. And honestly, that was the very best thing they could have done for me. I loved my sessions there, she made me feel heard and valid, and it was her who first suggested I save up to move to England. (Continued in comments, woah longer than expected!) 💙 (at Wythall) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxiTm3RhD4d/?igshid=z5m7o8t25w3q