Share Your Story 2

TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains content about self-harm and attempted suicide.

It feels kind of strange to be sharing this because I've never really told anyone, but here goes. I was always a really happy kid, but that started to go wrong when I was about ten. I got really insecure with myself and body image in middle school, and I thought I could handle it, but things got out of control. I got really obsessed with regulating what I ate and obsessively trying to lose weight. Things kept getting worse from there. I started to become increasingly self-destructive just to punish myself, in a way. That spiraled further and I had a suicide attempt when I was thirteen. It's so weird to think about that, because it was years ago and now I barely remember, but... I almost died. I got so close to not being here today, and it's kind of crazy that I'm still alive after years of just needing life to end. Eventually I got tired of hitting rock bottom so many times, and I knew I needed to find something to live for. I started meeting with a counselor and took the time to get my life back after everything that was holding me back. Now it's been years since the suicide attempt, and I've drifted away from self harm! Things definitely aren't perfect for me, but my mental state right now is still much better than I used to think it could ever be. I think it's cool that you guys are doing this anonymous story thing because maybe someone will read this and realize that, if I can pull myself out of the darkest time of my life, anything is possible for everyone!! It takes courage to wake up every day and keep surviving, and sometimes it's the hardest thing in the world, but that's just what we have to do! It really does get better, I promise, even if it doesn't seem like it will :)