2. This Resource Proudly Created & Distributed By Partnered With

3. Learn How To Use This? Just Get Started

4. How Do I Drive This Thing?! Clicking on pictures at the top of the screen will take you different places. Try it out!

5. SURE DID! Um… Yes?

6. Great Job! That’s how we make it easy for you to know where a button is going to take you There are some other types of buttons too: The Home, Quick Link and Post-it-Note Buttons These will take you to the 4 main Navigation Screens & Linked Text, which looks Like this:  ABSOLUTEY NO CLICKING THIS LINK  ABSOLUTEY NO CLICKING THIS LINK

7. Your Device Has Self Destructed YOU SHOULD HAVE LISTENED NO ONE EVER LISTENS EVERYONE CLICKS THE LINK AND THEN THIS HAPPENS I HOPE YOU’VE LEARNT YOUR LESSON... OK, YOUR COMPUTER IS FINE... BUT ABSOLUTELY NO CLICKING THIS LINKLINK

8. …Wow….ok….really? You actually clicked that link too?! Luckily for you that was the plan all along! Mwahahaha! You were meant to end up here, because that’s everything you need to know! Other things that can be clicked on will either tell you to click them, or it’s pretty obvious they can be clicked. If you’re not sure, just click it anyway and see what happens! Enjoy! I know what I’m doing now! Let’s Get Started!!

9. Super Quick Links Super Quick Links

10. Depression What is it? Depression What is it? Depression Getting Help Depression Getting Help Anxiety Symptoms Anxiety Symptoms Bipolar What is It? Bipolar What is It? Schizophrenia What is it? Schizophrenia What is it? Schizophrenia Getting Help Schizophrenia Getting Help Self Harm Symptoms Self Harm Symptoms Anorexia/Bulimia What is it? Anorexia/Bulimia What is it? Cyberbullying What is it? Cyberbullying What is it? Cyberbullying Getting Help Cyberbullying Getting Help PTSD Symptoms PTSD Symptoms Someone in my family isn’t well… Someone in my family isn’t well… Depression Symptoms Depression Symptoms Anxiety What is It? Anxiety What is It? Anxiety Getting Help Anxiety Getting Help Bipolar Symptoms Bipolar Symptoms Bipolar Getting Help Bipolar Getting Help Schizophrenia Symptoms Schizophrenia Symptoms Self Harm What is it? Self Harm What is it? Self Harm Getting Help Self Harm Getting Help Anorexia/Bulimia Symptoms Anorexia/Bulimia Symptoms Anorexia/Bulimia Getting Help Anorexia/Bulimia Getting Help Cyberbullying Symptoms Cyberbullying Symptoms PTSD What is it? PTSD What is it? PTSD Getting Help PTSD Getting Help My friends aren’t well… My friends aren’t well… I’m not well… I’m really stressed and don’t even know where to start!! OCD PANIC ATTACKS SUICIDE

11. Some Tips to ‘Stress Down’ Control your heart rate by breathing in deeply to a count of 4 and then breathing out slowly for a count of 4. Try doing it through your nose! Remove yourself from whatever stress is happening: walk outside, listen to some soothing or favourite music, draw or colour in, go for a run, take a shower Ask yourself some important questions: Is this as bad as I think it is? Has this happened before? How did I cope with it last time? Can I control or change what is going on? If yes, think carefully about how you will do this If no, then remind yourself that this isn’t your problem to solve Is there someone close to me who I can turn to for comfort? If none of the above work you may need to: Click the Panic Attack button above or Call an Ambulance on 000 Think that you’re having a Panic Attack? Click Here Think that you’re having a Panic Attack? Click Here

12. Feeling down a lot for no good reason? Depression Small things becoming really big problems?  Experiencing Panic Attacks?  Believe that you may have OCD? Anxiety Can’t decide whether you are very up or very down? Bipolar Feeling confused, not yourself, or like there are thoughts filling your head that aren‘t yours? Psychosis/Schizophrenia Feeling like you have to hurt yourself to feel things? Wondering what these thoughts of suicide might mean? Self harm Food feeling like the enemy? Feeling uncomfortable and ashamed in your own skin? Anorexia/Bulimia Not an illness, but are you experiencing this? Click here to find out more! Cyberbullying Feeling trapped and scared by your own memories? PTSD Click Here if you can’t see what you’re after Click Here if you can’t see what you’re after

13. Sorry to hear… …that the Mental Health Concern that you’re looking for wasn’t here, try accessing these websites for stacks of information on heaps of different types of issues facing young people: www.kidshelpline.com.auwww.kidshelpline.com.au  www.headspace.org.au  www.reachout.com  www.youthbeyondblue.com  www.copmi.net.au  http://www.seriouslysmashed.com.au/www.headspace.org.au www.reachout.comwww.youthbeyondblue.com www.copmi.net.auhttp://www.seriouslysmashed.com.au/ Don’t let that stop you from exploring the rest of this awesome interactive information though! Having some understanding of these things may be enough to help a friend or family member down the track

14. What is it? Symptoms Getting Help

15. What is it? Depression can be thought of as chronic sadness (you feel sad almost ALL the time). Depression can feel like a dark stormy cloud over head or like you’re always carrying around a big, heavy weight that you can’t let go of. Sometimes it may even feel like a big, black, sad dog that follows you everywhere and seems to suck the fun and joy out of everything! But worst of all, it can feel like nobody understands what depression is or how it feels… Maybe people call you a ‘downer’ or choose not to invite you to things because you don’t seem to enjoy them. Or Maybe people say things like “chin up! It’s not that bad!” Or “Just try being happy; it’s easier!” It doesn’t matter what they say…the point is, they don’t know what you’re really feeling; and you don’t really know how to tell them… More

16. What is it? How do I know if I'm just sad or if I have depression? A good place to start is to ask yourself… ‘What’s happening in my life right now and is feeling sad about it understandable?’ Feeling sad is a normal human emotion; in fact, we should feel sad! Sadness helps us cope with yucky situations in our lives. But we are not meant to feel sad for long periods of time and we especially shouldn’t feel so sad that we can’t do the things that we normally like doing/should do. SymptomsPrevious

17. What is it? Depression can be thought of as chronic sadness (you feel sad almost ALL the time). Depression can feel like a dark stormy cloud over head or like you’re always carrying around a big, heavy weight that you can’t let go of. Sometimes it may even feel like a big, black, sad dog that follows you everywhere and seems to suck the fun and joy out of everything! But worst of all, it can feel like nobody understands what depression is or how it feels… Maybe people call you a ‘downer’ or choose not to invite you to things because you don’t seem to enjoy them. Or Maybe people say things like “chin up! It’s not that bad!” Or “Just try being happy; it’s easier!” It doesn’t matter what they say…the point is, they don’t know what you’re really feeling; and you don’t really know how to tell them… More

18. Symptoms Not sure if what you are feeling is depression? Well here’s some things to watch out for: Always feeling tired Trouble sleeping or sleeping WAY too much Not wanting to eat or eating too much just to feel better Not enjoying things anymore Feeling a lack of motivation Feeling worried and tense often Difficulty concentrating and making decisions Feeling bad, worthless or guilty Blaming yourself for things that aren’t your fault Having dark, gloomy or scary thoughts; these may be about death or suicide Getting HelpWhat is it?

19. Symptoms Not sure if what you are feeling is depression? Well here’s some things to watch out for: Always feeling tired Trouble sleeping or sleeping WAY too much Not wanting to eat or eating too much just to feel better Not enjoying things anymore Feeling a lack of motivation Feeling worried and tense often Difficulty concentrating and making decisions Feeling bad, worthless or guilty Blaming yourself for things that aren’t your fault Having dark, gloomy or scary thoughts; these may be about death or suicide Back to Bipolar

20. Talk to Someone: Just make sure it’s someone who can help and give good advice. Headspace or Kids Helpline are GREAT places to turn to Try Meditation or Yoga Do some ‘mindfulness activities’ Getting Help Fun Fact There’s Lots Of Different Things To Do To Help With Depression. These Include Get Good Sleep When Possible Eat Healthier Foods: Preservatives, Sugars and Colours Can Have A Really Negative Effect On Your Mood Exercise: Good Physical Health = Better Mental Health Spend More Time Around Positive People: Find People Who Lift You Up, Not Drag You Down Find A Hobby You Are Passionate About and/or Good At Reduce Screen Time And Get Outside

21. Talk to Someone: Just make sure it’s someone who can help and give good advice. Headspace or Kids Helpline are GREAT places to turn to Try Meditation or Yoga Do some ‘mindfulness activities’ Getting Help Fun Fact There’s Lots Of Different Things To Do To Help With Depression. These Include Get Good Sleep When Possible Eat Healthier Foods: Preservatives, Sugars and Colours Can Have A Really Negative Effect On Your Mood Exercise: Good Physical Health = Better Mental Health Spend More Time Around Positive People: Find People Who Lift You Up, Not Drag You Down Find A Hobby You Are Passionate About and/or Good At Reduce Screen Time And Get Outside If none of these are helping, go see your doctor. They may put you onto a mental health plan which may include: Therapy / counselling or, Medication 

22. Talk to someone: Just make sure it’s someone who can help and give good advice. Headspace or kids helpline are great places to turn to Try meditation or yoga Do some ‘mindfulness activities’ Getting Help There’s Lots Of Different Things To Do To Help With Depression. These Include Get good sleep when possible Eat healthier foods: Preservatives, sugars and colours can have A really negative effect on your mood Exercise: Good physical health = better mental health Spend more time around positive people: find people who lift you up, not drag you down Find a hobby you are passionate about and/or good at Reduce screen time and get outside Symptoms What is it?

23. Getting HelpSymptoms What is it? Symptoms Getting Help

24. What is it?

25. Symptoms

27. Control your breathing – long slow breaths in through your nose and then out through your mouth Try to name 5 things in the room Have a glass of cold water If you are curled up or on the floor, get quickly to a comfortable, upright sitting position as soon as possible Don’t have too many people around. Lots of people will make the situation feel worse than it is and make it harder to calm down If you know that you are prone to panic attacks, make sure you have 1 support person who knows how to calm you down. They need to be able to sit with you or at least be called by phone. When having a panic attack, do not try to force yourself to calm down. Forcing yourself to calm down will get you frustrated with yourself and increase your fear of the actual panic attack instead of the situation…basically you’ll become afraid of being afraid! Try to gently calm yourself down using the strategies on the left. If these don’t work and you continue hyperventilating (breathing way too fast) eventually your body will reset itself by passing out; so as long as you are sitting in a safe comfortable chair, this won’t be too bad either. Try thinking of panic attacks like a headache; they are not very nice and there are some things you can do to try and feel better, but eventually you have to just wait for them to pass

28. OCD is Mental Health condition which effects the brain and behaviour. To understand it, you really need to understand the two words below: ObsessionsObsessions&CompulsionsCompulsions I have read these

29. Compulsions Back to OCD Main Screen

30. Getting Help Back to OCD Main Screen

31. Because of the delicate nature of OCD, it can only be treated by a Professional through medication or appropriate therapy. If you believe that you have OCD, contact your doctor ASAP Back to OCD Main Screen

32. Getting Help If you find that anxiety is controlling your life, try some of these of these helpful options Control your breathing – this is mentioned a few times through this resource Do relaxing, ‘zone out’ activities – colouring in, fiddling with a length of rope to tie and untie knots, squeeze a stress ball, listening to music, reading, go running, have a shower or bath, do one of your enjoyed hobbies Challenge your unhelpful thoughts – Click Here to learn about Unhelpful Thinking StylesClick Here Visit the sites listed on this page and see what they have about Anxietythis page Go see you GP (doctor). They can walk you through other options if self-managing your stress isn’t working

34. Bipolar is a mood disorder which has a severe impact on how someone regulates their emotions. regulates At first you might think that someone with Bipolar has depression. That’s because during their big down times ; that’s exactly how they feel. But compared to depression, people with Bipolar also have big up times. In fact…sometimes they feel sooo up that they actually start making some pretty unsafe decisions or behaving in ways that hurt themselves and other people Regulating is when you stay in control of you feelings and make them do what you want them to

35. Up Symptoms Over confident Dangerous behaviour Manic Energy Recklessness Taking too many risks Thoughtlessness Not sleeping Making bad decisions Damaging relationships through the above behaviour Down Symptoms These mimic those of severe depression Click here to see Depression Symptoms Depression Symptoms

36. You may be able to manage your down times with some of the Depression Self-Help strategies here; here BUT Bipolar is best to be addressed by a Doctor and given special medical attention

38. Psychosis is when the brain begins to send and receive very confused and wrong signals. These signals can make you confused, make you believe strongly in things which others say aren’t real (delusions), can make you hear, see, taste, feel or smell things which aren’t there (hallucinations) or can suddenly change your normal behaviour quite drastically. What is it?

39. Psychosis will look and feel differently for everyone, but some things to watch out for are: Hearing voices  feeling paranoid  having a sense that something is after or watching you  forgetting or making up chunks of time  having trouble holding normal conversation  Feeling strong beliefs in things which you used to think weren’t real What’s it Feel/Look Like?

40. This needs SPECIALISED treatment from a qualified medical team BUT If someone is experiencing a psychotic episode: Don’t agree with their delusions or hallucinations  don’t argue with them  call the police or ambulance if you think you need to  keep yourself and the other person as safe as you can  if they wander away, follow them at a safe distance

42. WHAT IS IT? Self Harm is when someone hurts or mutilates their body on purpose, without necessarily wanting to die. This behaviour quite often begins in the teenage years. There are different ways to Self-Harm. These include: Cutting part of the body – often the wrists, arms or thighs Burning yourself Self bruising Overdosing or using different substances to cause harm Deliberately Participating in behaviour that would seem dangerous to others Deliberately Participating in behaviour that would seem dangerous to others 

43. Healthy Risks vs Risky Behaviour Healthy Risks Take you outside your comfort zone but can still be safe. Extreme Sports such as paragliding or skydiving are good examples of great healthy risks. These will certainly give you a rush but won’t damage you. In fact, Healthy Risks can improve your ability to try new things, increase your confidence, and can help build your character. Risky Behaviours Feel new and exciting at the time, but can lead to really unwanted or dangerous outcomes -Unprotected sex with multiple partners -Taking drugs -Getting Drunk Often -Getting into vehicles with people you don’t know or trust -Engaging in small-medium scale illegal activity such as stealing chocolate from the corner shop These are just a few Risky Behaviours that can really harm you on a physical, emotional or mental level REMEMBER….

44. Healthy Risks vs Risky Behaviour  Remember  You may not be trying to harm yourself; but engaging in Risky Behaviour will likely lead to some harm… Educate Yourself Know the Dangers & Try to avoid harmful situations

45. A common reason for Self Harming is as a way of working through distressing feelings. It may be as a way to help control your pain – if you’re going to hurt, you want to be the one to cause it… It may be as a way of relieving emotional pain by focusing on something else It may be easier for you to ask for help by self harming, than by using words A small number of people may try self-harm due to feelings of peer pressure or wanting to copy behaviour ‘Wow…if they can hurt themselves on purpose, they must be brave; I want to appear brave too.’ This is not common, and those who try it for this reason are unlikely to continue; although it can still be dangerous and should be avoided

46. MORE Self Harm can be a very overwhelming urge to hurt yourself; and you may feel like you cannot do anything else until you have fulfilled that urge. The following things may be less harmful to your body but meet the urge. Remember, these are better options BUT they don’t solve the problem: 1.Punching a pillow or punching bag. 2.Squeeze ice cubes until your fingers go numb. 3.Wear a loose rubber band on your wrist and snap when the urge to harm arises. 4.Eat a chilli, or something really hot. 5.Have a cold shower. 6.Draw or write in red over your body instead of cutting or burning I Need Help

47. If you can recognise that you’re feeling the need to self harm, but you still feel in control, you may want to try the following emotion releasing techniques: Choose to put off harming yourself until you've spoken to someone else or waited for 15 minutes (and see if you can extend it for another 15 minutes beyond that, then continue to do it again and so on until the feeling passes). Write in a journa l – sometimes it can be really helpful to write down how you’re feeling and what is making you feel that way. MOREBACK I Need Help

48. Exercise - Go for a run or walk in the park to use up excess energy. Play video games - This may be a good way to distract yourself Yell or sing at the top of your lungs on your own or to music. You might do this into a pillow if you don't want other people in the house to hear. Relaxation techniques - activities like yoga or meditation can help reduce anxiety Cry - crying is a healthy and normal way (i.e. not weak or dumb) to express your sadness or frustrations. BACK I Need Help

49. Self Harm & Suicide Suicide may result from Self Harm, but this is often not the case. Self Harming behaviours often show that a person is in a lot of emotional pain; and if their pain continues without receiving help, then suicide may seem like a final step. BUT It is a mistake to think that someone is definitely suicidal simply because they self-harm. If you notice someone close to you is Self-Harming, don’t immediately start accusing them of wanting to die. Instead: Remain calm and don’t show lots of pity or sympathy – this will confirm in their minds that they’re pain is really big Don’t make a big deal out of it Listen, without judging, about what they achieve from doing it Don’t give advice but instead remind them that they have options

54. WHAT WHYHELP

55. We need to first understand what bullying is: Bullying is when a person or a group of people misuse their power over someone else. Verbal – swearing, name calling, insulting Physical – anything that harms someone’s body Social – exclusion and turning other people against the victim Psychological – blackmail, causing someone to feel scared, threats For actions to be considered bullying, they have to occur regularly over a period of time. Cyber bullying is bullying performed using any technology platform. Currently the two biggest ones are text messaging and facebook Y do u even wake up each day? No 1 likes u… Who is this?

56. Bullying occurs for lots of different reasons: People not liking one another The bully feeling a need to ‘prove’ themselves The victim is considered an easy target The bully has been, or is being bullied themselves Parents don’t like each other and the kids get caught up in the middle An unresolved argument between the bully and the victim Y do u even wake up each day? No 1 likes u… Who is this? U R dead 2morrow… Why are you doing this?

57. Being cyber-bullied sucks, but there’s some things you can do to help yourself out: 1)Remember that you don’t have to listen to or accept anything the bully says. In fact, just ignore the messages and they will often go away 2)If ignoring doesn’t work, make sure you save or take screen shots of the messages and show someone; preferably an adult. It’s important to tell someone; don’t fight this alone 3)In extreme cases, you may need to block people’s accounts or even create a new profile or get a new number. Y do u even wake up each day? No 1 likes u… Who is this? U R dead 2morrow… Why are you doing this? Im doing it cuz u deserve this. u no what 2 do if u want it 2 stop… Actually, I know EXACTLY what to do! So now, if this happens to you, your response can be this… SEND

58. What is it? Symptoms Getting Help Symptoms Getting Help What is it? Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

59. Symptoms When your past thoughts and memories of bad/ traumatic experiences come and take you hostage…. It often feels like it comes out of nowhere even if you’re feeling ok. Some Traumatic experiences which can cause PTSD are: War  Natural disasters  Car or plane crashes  Terrorist attacks  Sudden death of a loved one  Rape  Kidnapping  Assault  Sexual or physical abuse  Childhood neglect

60. Flashbacks (acting or feeling like the event is happening again) Nightmares Feelings of intense distress when reminded of the trauma Full-on physical reactions to reminders of the event (e.g. pounding heart, rapid breathing, nausea, muscle tension, sweating Fear of being separated from parent Losing previously-acquired skills (such as toilet training, or speaking) Avoiding activities, places, thoughts, or feelings that remind you of the trauma Hopelessness about your future Outbursts of anger and violence Hypervigilance (on constant “red alert”) Feeling jumpy and easily startled New phobias and anxieties that seem unrelated to the trauma (such as a fear of monsters) Aches and pains with no apparent cause Irritability and aggression

61. Because PTSD can cause extreme anxiety & Depression, you may find the self-help strategies for both of these useful: AnxietyDepression BUT Talking to a professional counsellor or psychologist/psychiatrist may be the best option for you. Talk to your GP about getting a Mental Health Plan in place

63. FRIENDS

64. Helping My Friends Giving Advice Tips on Listening

65. More on Listening Listening is one of the best things that you can do. By just listening, you may be helping your friend feel heard for the first time ever. BUT Don’t try to give advice… (Click on the Giving Advice link on the previous page)

66. More on Listening Listening is one of the best things that you can do. By just listening, you may be helping your friend feel heard for the first time ever. BUT Don’t try to give advice… (Click on the Giving Advice link on the previous page) ‘You won’t tell anyone will you?’ or ‘I need you to keep a secret no matter what, ok?’ You don’t want to find yourself betraying trust when you realise you have to tell someone ‘My parents don’t know this but…’ If your friend’s parents don’t know, then ask yourself why? Sometimes they’re not telling their parents something because it’s illegal or really serious…so if they tell you, you might end up knowing things that you wish you didn’t ‘I’m only telling you this because you’re my best friend’ or ‘You’re the only one that I trust about this…’ This can make you feel really good but it also puts you into a position of power that isn’t fair for you or your friend. Being someone’s BEST FRIEND and knowing all their secrets can be a little too much power sometimes; so it’s something to watch out for ‘You’ll help me, won’t you?’ Sure, you’ll do what you can, but don’t promise to help if you’re not sure that you will be able to

67. The most important question to ask yourself is…. ‘Am I a counsellor?’ If the answer is no, then don’t try to be. If you think that your friend needs some real help, tell them that as nicely as possible. Trying to be a counsellor instead of a friend will drain you and often end up damaging the friendship This one is easy… Don’t Give Advice

68. Things that you can say to your friends… I’m always here to listen (without advice) if you need to vent What are you doing to work through this; how can I support you in that? Would you like me to sit with you while you call a helpline / go to a doctor appointment? Have you already told lots of people? If you have, do you think telling someone else is a good idea?

69. Asking My Friends To Help Me… The most important question to ask yourself is…. ‘Are they a counsellor?’ If the answer is no, then don’t ask them to be. It’s not fair to expect your friends to have all the answers pile your stuff onto them; they’re probably dealing with their own life troubles… When working through stuff you can ask your friends to do these things: Be patient with you – explain what’s going on and ask them to stick by you through it Be kind and considerate of your emotions Be understanding of you on your bad days Stick up for you Come with you to talk to a doctor or school counsellor Call someone in an emergency

70. What’s going to happen to my family? A family member is sick/my family feels like it’s falling apart AND IT SUCKS! My family has no idea what I’m going through

71. Dealing with things as a family can be hard and sometimes, not all families survive the challenge. This may mean that some families breakdown or separate. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Families can get through tough times by doing some basic things: Admitting that there is a problem – don’t hide your feelings from those you love Not blaming each other for what’s happening. Mental illness is NEVER anybody’s fault Getting some professional help. There’s no shame in admitting that you’re struggling… Trying to do fun things together whenever possible; don’t get bogged down in each other’s stress and sadness Having a break, not a breakdown – if you need some space, take it. A short time apart is better than permanent separation

72. You might be right. When bad things are happening to people, it can be REALLY hard for them to see, or care about others’ points of view Try to remember that your family is full of people; people just like you –and because EVERY PERSON makes mistakes, it’s likely that your family is going to stuff up sometimes, because we all do… It can be really hard to forgive them, especially our parents, but remember that stuffing up does not mean they don’t love you Try talking to them and being honest about how you feel If you don’t think that you can, then find an adult you trust and talk to them. Often venting to someone can be enough to help us get our heads around the situation BUT Try not to be nasty about the other person, and do not make up stories about them.

73. IF you’ve clicked here…it sounds like you’re struggling. Maybe your family is breaking down or perhaps someone in your family is very mentally unwell and you just don’t know how to deal with it. First of all, it’s totally ok to feel upset by these things. Don’t tell yourself to just ‘suck it up’. If you need to talk to someone; make sure that you do. Second, don’t blame yourself. It is not the job of a young person to keep their family together. A family member’s mental illness or a family breakdown is NOT EVER your fault. To help you cope it is important that you have a friend to talk to who isn’t emotionally involved and who won’t take sides. It’s also important to only tell one or two trusted people about what is happening; you don’t want everyone poking their nose in. And finally, give yourself space away from the situation. It’s not good for you to always be in an environment where you feel stressed. Stay with a friend for a night or with another family member for a while. www.copmi.net.au

74. Is it ok to wish that I got more attention about this? Is there anyone who will take me seriously? I shouldn’t feel like this…

75. TOTALLY! It’s normal to feel as though people don’t get you or understand what’s going on. But, you are responsible for helping them out. Normally if we are feeling misunderstood or under- valued, we have 2 options: Get Over It Or Talk to the people who are making us feel that way and work on a solution The second option is always better and here are some things to make sure you do it well: Make sure that people close to you know what you’re going through Be clear with them about what you think will help you get better Ask them to be patient with you, even when you are not fun to be around Promise that you will do what you can to get better, but that you’re going to need some support.

76. Definitely! Any helpline or counselling service will take your concerns VERY seriously and offer any support possible. You’re friends and family may not take you seriously because they don’t understand Mental Illness enough, or they are dealing with their own stuff…. Think of it like art or history….if you don’t understand or appreciate art or history…it’s very hard to take them seriously… Just think, if you get some help and understanding yourself, you may just be the person to help make others understand

77. That may be true but… If you’re feeling things that you know you shouldn’t or don’t want to feel, then seek help immediately. There’s no point toughing it out or just waiting for it to pass; and you deserve to have the best life that you can! So, get help and get back on track as quickly as you can!