[Image: sleeping girl by sofeminine, License CC]

A panic attack strikes without any warning due to a surge of overwhelming anxiety and fear. Your heart pounds really fast, you start trembling and breathing becomes difficult. Then you feel like you are getting detached from the world, dying or going crazy. That is when you feel the sensation of numbness and dizziness. All of this mentioned are symptoms that can last up to 10 minutes and the panic attack ends within 20 to 30 minutes.

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[Image: by Erin Butler-Córdova, LicenseCC]

Mental illness is a serious problem that we still face  everyday and that us as a society should stop. We need to stop judging people because there is a reason behind every person; there is a reason why they are the way they are. Let’s accept everyone no matter how they look, what they believe in nor their sexual preference because at the end of the day we are all the same.  To all of you who are suffering of depression, social anxiety and mental illness, listen to me! Please stop hurting yourself. You have enough with all that suffer that you carry every day, there is no need to cause more pain.

If the way you try to kill your sadness is by cutting yourself, drinking or taking drugs, I encourage you to stop because you are just making your problems worse. Instead of trying to find refuge in them, change your perspective about it because every problem is a gift. Without them we would not learn and grow. Sometimes it takes a good fall to really know where you stand. Please stay here with me. There is nearly 8 billion people in this world, do not let some shity people ruin your life. People don’t ruin your life,  you do it by letting them do it so when everything seems to be against you remember that John Green once said: “You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world… but you do have some say in who hurts you.” Please do not take a permanent decision for a temporary problem. There is so much more to live than what you are feeling now.

Maybe you think that I do not know what I’m talking about, but believe me I do. I know that you cry in silence and feel like you are drowning in your own tears. I know that you are tired of people giving you labels. I know that those words cut deep inside but that does not mean you are alone. I know that you feel invisible, that you hide from this beautiful world, that every day you are forced to fake a smile. I know that you care about others more than you care about yourself, that you burn yourself to keep others warm and that you wish they do the same thing for you. I know that sometimes you need a hug and someone who would listen to you, that you cry until you fall asleep, that you listen to the same song over and over again because it explains how you feel through the lyrics and that you live with constant pressure and with the idea of satisfying society’s expectations without realizing that the key to failure is trying to please everyone. But, do you know what I also know? I know that you are strong. That is why you are still here, alive with me.

Out there, there is people that loves you and really cares about you. I know I do. You are not able to see it because you are stuck in a dark and misery world. That is why I ask you to open the doors and let some light in. Discover the world. Read books. Get inspire. Watch the sunrise. Drink coffee. Smell the sweet refreshment of a brand new day. Meet people, share your story and listen to theirs. Surround yourself with nature. Go to the park. Eat ice cream. Take a moment to smell the fragrance of flowers. Buy fresh fruits. Tilt your head up to the sky and smile. Roll over the grass. Listen to music. Meditate. Clear your mind. Find something that makes you happy and never let it go. Give yourself the opportunity to meet the future. There are tons of great things waiting for you. Please don’t be hopeless because as long clouds exist, everything is going to be alright. Repeat this to yourself. Happiness is around the corner. YOU, AND ONLY YOU, ARE RESPONSABLE OF YOUR OWN HAPPINESS. I promise that the best medicine for your sadness will be finding a reason to smile. I believe in you. Be kind to one and other, it costs nothing. We all have a purpose in this world, we just need to find out what it is. Oh and btw, I love you.

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[Image: by stavroulapanagi, LicenseCC]