When you don't think you can go on...

Sometimes in your anxiety battle, it will feel as if you are stuck in a dark and miserable existence with no escape.. except one...

If you are feeling like that now, STOP.

I know it isn't that easy. You can't just turn the switch from sad to happy. It is a process.

But first, please consider those who love you. Do they know how you are feeling? If not, I encourage you to reach out to them for support. They can't help you if they don't know you are hurting. A very dear friend of mine ended his life at age 19 with no warning. His family - with whom he was very close - had no idea he was suffering. If they had, they would have done everything in their power to talk him out of it. As is, they blame themselves and will never get over the loss. So please, allow your loved ones to help you. Think about how much they need you and how they would feel if you disappeared from their lives.

If they do know, but don't seem to want to help, it is likely because they aren't sure what to do and therefore do nothing. It is a common coping mechanism, and not a sign they don't love you.

You may feel that none of that support matters, that you don't want anyone who doesn't understand what you are going through telling you what to do.

Most likely, you feel you have no control over your future and your happiness. The was a point in my life in which I felt this way. I chose to take control by taking steps towards feeling better. In my case, it was seeing a psychiatrist and a talk therapist.

My life did not improve overnight. Sometimes I still have my moments of weakness. But I don't think that me at 14 could have imagined where I'd be 14 years later. The girl who couldn't talk to her classmates now works as a salesperson. The girl who was too afraid to date a boy is now married. Yes, it was a long process, but my life got better. How are you to know that yours won't get better as well?

Take control over your life, even if it is just making baby steps. Tell someone how you feel, talk to a mental health professional, call a suicide hotline if you have to. You can and will feel better. It may take time, but you'll thank yourself years down the road when you realize what you would have missed out on if you hadn't.