My experience with diagnosed Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, ADHD, and Borderline Personality Disorder have given me unique outlooks of the world on both a personal and political level. My public middle and high school did not have adequate curriculum about how mental illness works, can display itself, and possible complications. I am certain if I had learned about self-harm as a child- specifically the thought processes behind it, common treatments, and bigger issues it turns into - I would not have started or at the very least reached out for help a lot sooner instead of prioritizing keeping the issue a secret. Education policy has to be passed on a state-by-state basis, but having a single state pass policy on an issue often influences other states to follow suit - resulting in change across the country. A harder lesson I learned from my mental health issues is how valuable a person’s time is on any given day. I wasn't able to see how many hours I was losing from the inability to concentrate and brain fog. Since I've started taking the proper medication I do so much more. I clean and organize, make bracelets and other crafts, and more instead of literally just staring at the wall. As much as I am grateful for my newfound capabilities, I still mourn all the time lost as a child which I could have been learning during my most formative years, as almost all our brain growth occurs during the first five years of life.