“I still battle with depression, anxiety, and PTSD, but I have learned healthy ways to cope. I have made friends with these demons — I hold their hands, I know what awakens them, and what calms them.”

“I told her, ‘I am having scary thoughts, and I don’t feel safe by myself.’ Saying those words felt more freeing than anything I had done before.”

“What I’m learning in this new phase of recovery is how much beauty is on the other side of just being alive.”

“Years of covering up my identity to avoid feeling negative emotions and avoid not looking ‘cool’ caused me to never really explore who I was. Now, I am involved in many things I love. And I am comfortable with myself.”

“I have faced things that I thought would destroy me. My voice is important and if I allow my words to carry I can be a powerful force in the world.”

“My life has changed. I’ve changed. I’m someone I want to be friends with. I find myself worthy of the care that I so willingly give to others.”

“Today, I have found hope through the right dosage of medication, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), writing, blogging, running, yoga, and love.”

“I am learning that I am capable of supporting myself through the anxious moments that I still frequently experience. My friends and family are there for me, but I am also there for me.”

“I do not let my anxiety define me. Anxiety is something I have, but it is not who I am.”

“To anyone who is struggling with an eating disorder — you deserve to take up space. Your body has worked its entire life to keep you alive.”

“My youngest son, Benjamin, died by suicide in 2010, which catapulted me a million miles away into a strange new existence.”

“The biggest thing that has helped is just having a clear sense of what works for me, and what doesn’t. Being surrounded by nature. Making deep, personal connections with people.”