As far back as I can remember, I have had issues with my mental health. Anxiety still affects me to this day, but my depression has gotten better. Not gone but better. Surprisingly my depression started getting better once I entered high school. Until I was in 10th grade I was deeply depressed and I never talked to anyone about it. Growing up my family was very old fashioned, and as a boy I was taught to keep my emotions inside and the only ones to show were happiness and anger. Once I was in middle school, I started experimenting with Xanax because I was told that it would help with mental health issues. I was addicted to the stuff until 10th grade when I was staying at my friend’s house and they tried to wake me up and it didn’t work. I woke up at the hospital to my mom crying and my friends in the waiting room making sure I was ok. That day was my wake up call and I got help from people who cared about me. I’m a freshman in college now and I’ve been clean since then. To this day it pains me to see people who are struggling with the same stuff that I did and don’t get help until it’s too late because I wish that I could’ve been there to help them. If you are struggling with substance abuse and are trying your best to stop but it’s too hard, my advice would be to always turn to your loved ones. If they truly love you the way you love them they will do whatever it takes to help you get through it. Don’t ever hide your struggles from people because if you do, they may be too late to save you. Remember the best way to get help is to have something that’s worth going through it all. – 999
