Demons

In the last eleven years I have suffered with depression and suicidal thoughts. I have had social anxiety for as long as I can remember and have been having panic-attacks since I was seventeen. I have also had problems with self-harm, bullying and grief.
Some of my lowest points have been caused by seeing so many people around the world struggling with mental health problems and feeling helpless because I wanted so desperately to help but I didn't know how. I am a quiet person, I'm afraid to make conversation and the thought of public speaking makes me feel sick.
One thing that I have learnt is that those who have never suffered with mental health issues or have never seen the hell that some people have are very quick to judge. They might call you lazy because you have lost all of the will to live or dramatic because you are terrified of leaving the house. They say that suicide is an easy way out even if they have never experienced the kind of pain that leads you to believe that it's the only way. They tell you that the trauma you have faced is invalid just because other people have it worse. They tell you to move on even if you have been through absolute hell.

Awareness for mental illness has come along way compared to what it used to be but there are still so many people struggling with PTSD, depression, anxiety, Schizophrenia, eating disorders and so much more. And there are unfortunately, a lot of people going through horrible things, but in this collection of poems I hope that I can make some kind of change to how misunderstood mental illnesses are. I have tried to put myself in the shoes of other people and write about it, although I know that I will never fully understand what some people have gone through.

This book is an insight to the minds of people with mental illnesses. A lot of people don't receive help until it is too late and that needs to change.