I have been diagnosed with depression and generalized anxiety disorder for many years. To be honest, I would not say I've entirely overcome either, because both affect my life still, and will continue to in the future. However, I am working on overcoming this and I will continue to do so for as long as I am alive. I have been getting better and healthier, both mentally and physically. Although not every day is perfect, and I still have some days where it feels like I hit rock bottom, I know I have grown from where I once was. I can see it in the way I'm better at getting out of bed each morning when I practice breathing exercises to calm down, and the times that I make an effort to reach out to people when I need help. I know because people have told me that my smile seems brighter, that they're proud of me for getting my grades up, and that they have noticed a difference in the way I talk about myself. I now have a therapist, medicines, and many people who are always willing to help me whenever I reach out to them. My mom has been the biggest aid through my struggles with mental illness. Even in my darkest time, even when I was in the hospital, she was there for me. She always has and will fight for me, and it encourages me to fight for myself. It encourages me to help others fight, and make sure that they have a person to reach out to just like I did. Specific ways I've worked on helping myself include practicing breathing exercises, creating routines, and learning it's okay to ask for help. The last part was one of the harder things for me to do, as I've always been a very independent person and I have always felt the need to be self-sufficient. Going to therapy, taking my meds, and keeping track of how far I've come have also drastically affected my mental health and I will continue to use the resources available to me. I'm getting better. I still have a way to go, and I'm sure there will be times when it's two steps forward, and one step back, but I will continue to fight no matter what. I am not my mental illness and I will not let it have complete control over my life.

This question is one that makes a person sit and think about it for a long time. There are millions of books and millions of experiences. This would give a lot of influence to a single book, based on its story, and morals showcased, and the general impact it causes could be astronomical. In all honesty, I would choose the first Hunger Games book, in hopes of the whole trilogy being read by most. The reason I choose it was not so I would see which part of the love triangle others would side with or because I want everyone to fall in love young. I would recommend this book because I don't want that to happen. Currently, the books are being used to show a love triangle of "Which boy will get the girl/who is better for her", and there are many problems with that. Even the movies push this a lot and you'll see many young readers think of this as a large part of the storyline. First of all, the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, doesn't need a love interest to be important and to be human. The point of the love interests in the first place is an analogy for peace and war, and they also show the pressure that is put on women and young people to be in love. The only reason she and Petta survived the games was that they faked a love. Two children have to profess undying love and kiss so that others would deem them worthy of being alive. The movies actually take the books and show them in the way the capitol did, twisting a large part of the narrative to please themselves. The other reason is that it is a story of rebellion against those who abuse power. Although it takes place in a "dystopian" setting, it's not improbable, nor is it something that people don't relate to on some level today. How many women in Iran are currently fighting for freedom? Young girls are standing up for themselves against those who try to kill and control them. It's important to remind people around the world to fight. It's also worth noting that it shows how war and being the leader for justice is not a role that should be forced on the youth, although it seems to happen often.

I had this best friend for the first few years of high school. We had many hilarious moments together and often laughed until we cried. One of the moments is still a story I often tell others when I can see they need a laugh, and now I will share it with you. My friend and I both have anxiety, so we talk to each other to try and work it out. Of course, comfort in the way of words does not always work, and sometimes we need something else. My friend had a lot of anxiety and it was making her nauseous. No one enjoys nauseous of course, so she was trying to find a way to get rid of it. While talking, she realized that she had an Alka seltzer tablet nearby. If you are unaware of what these are, they are tablets of largely ginger, used to calm to stomach, much like ginger ale. You dissolve the tablet in water and it bubbles up before completely dissipating, then you stir the water and drink it. It is important to note these three things; firstly, I had already suggested water as a way to calm down, so I knew she had a glass readily available. Second, this was over text, so I wasn't there in person to explain how Alka seltzer tablets work. Finally, my friend is known for misunderstanding how to use things or taking instructions literally. She told me she had a tablet nearby and had heard that it helped to calm a nervous stomach. I agree and told her it would be a good idea to take it, since just talking wasn't working. She told me she would and I was glad she would soon feel better. A moment later, in all caps, messages from her start appearing on my phone rapidly. "OMG" "NEVER USE ALKA SELTZER" "IT BURNS" "NEVER PUT ONE OF THOSE ALKA THINGS IN YOUR MOUTH" Puzzled, I asked why it was burning so much. She responded "I put it in my mouth and it started tingling and burning! I spit it out, but it won't go away!" Immediately, I started laughing loudly and told her that it was meant to be dissolved in water first. She had seen that the tablets were dissolving, and assumed they were similar to tums tablets. "Oh." was her first response, and it prompted me to laugh harder. She tried to drink water, but the tingling on her tongue refused to go away. By now, both of us were laughing so hard we had tears in our eyes. As she continued to defend her mistake, we both forgot our anxieties and through laughter, she decided to never try Alka seltzer tablets again, even if it would be the "right way".