I'm extremely proud of how far I've come with my mental health. When I was eleven, I was depressed and suicidal. I attempted to kill myself in my 7th-grade year, around December. I tried to overdose. I alerted a teacher at school about what I did, because I realized I didn't want to die. She took me to the school nurse. The nurse was lovely, an absolute blessing. She sympathized with what I was going through and let me talk to her. She called my mom and I got taken to the hospital. I was in the psych ward part of the hospital, where long-term patients lived to be monitored. Everyone, there was an adult, and I was the only child. It was terrifying. I had to witness numerous mental breakdowns of the patients around me when I wasn't yet a teenager. Eventually, I was transferred to a psych ward in Conway, SC. My stay there was complicated, I met some lovely people and some people who despised me. Some kids were there simply because their parents didn't want to deal with them. I stayed for around a week before I was discharged. During my stay, I met a girl named Jade. We were roommates and were in there for the same reason, so we bonded quickly. One night, I had a mental breakdown and she went over to my bed and comforted me, hugging me and talking to me. I regret not staying in contact with her when I was discharged. I'm so extremely proud of how far I've come. I'm on antidepressants and anxiety meds now and trying to go back to therapy. I've never been happier. I have plenty of friends to support and love me, and I'm so glad my suicide attempt failed.

I adore how unrelenting and fearless I am to be myself. I struggle with it sometimes, but I regularly push through. I do what I love, no matter how 'weird' it may seem. Others can judge me, but I'll always stay true to myself. I've struggled with my self-esteem and self-love ever since I was young. I always believed I was repulsive and disgusting. I've learned a lot since then. I've discovered that it doesn't matter how others perceive me, that I should always stay true to who I am. I enjoy wearing skirts, torn jeans, and corsets. Who cares if other people say I'm weird. I take it as a compliment now, while in the past I would've attempted to fit in. I'm bold and assertive and don't let other people walk all over me. I take risks, even if they might backfire, at least I tried my hardest. That can scare people, notably in high school where everyone is trying to fit in. I can be intimidating, not because of my stature but because of my character. It can confuse them further if they get to know me, I'm an easy-going and sociable person. I care intensely about the ones dear to me and would do anything to keep them safe. I'm nonbinary and bisexual as well, this can cause other people to shun me greatly. I don't care, I love who I love. It's who I am and I'm proud to admit it. I wear what I want, even if it's not 'trendy'. I don't care if others judge me, I am who I am for a reason. It took me years to discover who I am, and judgemental people won't ever stop me.