At first, I didn't know what to write for this. I always thought of my life as not that meaningful or noteworthy, but I have a story I want to tell. I had a friend, someone I cherished above many people. At that point, we had been friends for many years, nearly five or six I think. Lets call her Vivian, since I would rather not use her real name. Vivian's parents had told me to stay away from her. I could not visit anymore because of my sexuality. They have a belief that every person is gay or straight. You like one or the other, not both. We found a loophole and still messaged each other when we could. However, I am not a patient person and I really wanted to visit her, to see Vivian and enjoy all her sarcasm and humor. So, I came up with the brilliant idea to message her parents without consulting her first. A stupid and impulsive decision. I gathered my courage and sent a message to her mother from my mother's phone since they were friends on the social media platform I used. I got a reply quickly since she had not yet left for work. I was hopeful that maybe I could change her mind, since I know I really couldn't change the father's mind. At first, the conversation was rather light, not what I was expecting. But it got tense quickly, when I sent her a message she misinterpreted as me being rude. I had not meant to be rude or tell her how to punish Vivian, I just wanted her to listen to me and then decide if I was worthy to mingle with their daughter. By the end of the conversation, both myself and Vivian's mother were upset at the other. And Vivian was beyond angry with me. She told me very blatantly that I should have been patient and waited. All I did was upset her mother before work. I felt bad, I knew Vivian had the right to be upset and scold me a little. My own mother, however, did not agree. She started to argue with Vivian, only making her more upset. At this point, I went to the bathroom to calm myself from the nerves I had knotted in my stomach and veins. Within those few measly seconds, I lost my friend. The only person I really depended on and talked to. My world crumbled. My mother had said some very mean and hurtful words to my friend, which made me lose her. I lost my temper. I screamed at my mother, yelled hurtful words that I knew would cause her pain, and walked away. At that point, I did not care about her feelings or my consequences, just as she did not care in those few seconds. I had lost my friend, my best friend. I lost my two lovely cats, and I lost my will to live. All in one summer. Over time, due to the deep emotions that ran through me, I later experienced an emotional burnout. I did not care about anything. I would cause myself pain to feel alive. I had no will to eat, to get out of bed, to do anything other than sleep. Just when I thought, for a few days, I was getting better, my depression and anxiety started pumping throughout my body. I could not stand to be in public or I would start to cause self-harm to relieve the stress in my body. I would scratch and bite my arms and twist my fingers nearly to the point of nearly breaking. I could never stay in class because that alone would cause me to panic. My depression caused me to loathe myself. I hated my very being. If it were not for my therapist and medicine. My friends and family. I don't know if I would be here. I have a different cat named Stella, who is pigeon-toed on her back feet. I also have a guinea pig named Brutus, from Julius Caesar. I am on a different medication. I am finally starting to feel better. I am starting to feel alive again. To everyone else like me, these feelings can be handled. It is not easy to deal with these feelings, it won't just go away, but over time, you will feel better. So just keep marching through the dark, you will find the light.
It all started two years ago the day before my older sisters 15th birthday, and the day of my 6th grade jumpstart. My parents called all my siblings and I to our living room at the time. And at this point we all new our lives were about to change, but we didn't know how much. My sisters, brother and I were sitting on out gray coach at the time when my mother called for my father to come up to their bedroom. We didn't think it was anything at the time. My parents came back from upstairs to living room you could tell that they both were crying because their eyes were red and puffy. We all asked what was wrong and they then told us the worst news of our lives. Well we thought the worst news we didn't know what was going to come out of this at we all were in so much pain. They were getting a divorce. After about a year after we got the news we then got told we were being forced out of our house and we had to find a place to live in the next month. My dad moved into his mother's house and my mum moved into a house right next to a friend from our church. the move was so stressful i was the only one who packed their own stuff. My siblings were not at home that much anymore so i stayed home and packed my younger sisters room and then i packed mine. After the move we were waiting for the divorce to finalize. I started a new school, I made new friends, I even had my first boyfriend. I had a great first year at my new school. Well... everyone thought I did. I was actually self-harming. I started the summer before 7th grade, before my new school, I told everyone that i was always cold. But that was not the truth, I was hiding my cuts. After I got really close to my friends I ended up braking down and telling them why I always had a coat on. Everywhere I went i had a coat, in gym, outside, during cross country, everywhere. I didn't even take it off at my own homes.I went threw a really dark time and the only people who know about it is my now ex-boyfriend and my best friends. My parents found out later and they got me help. I was not happy about this at all. I thought they were trying to make it all worse, but they were trying to help. They were blaming it on them which hurt me even more. It was not their fault it has never been. It was a way for me to stop and calm down. It made my mental pain go away for a little bit by having physical pain. This never actually helped me with anything it ended up making my grades drop and me just staying in my room more and more. I still have scars from me doing this. Doing this to me probably the worse thing ever in my life. Having people judge you every time someone sees your scars is not ever a fun feeling. I am in so much pain from ever starting self-harm. It might be easy to start but it is not easy to stop believe me. But this is my life now and I am living and I am holding strong. I can't really do anything else. This is my life.
Four years ago. I remember this feeling. Tired, empty, solemnly cupping my shins in a bathtub stained with blood rivered from my wrists. Although I'm not self harming, I completely remember the pain and emptiness inside. That need for purpose. I honestly assumed that by virtue of following my passion and carving out my dreams into reality, I would get rid of this feeling I find myself in. While 2014 became a turning point in my life, making the decision to live for myself and not for the joys of everyone else around me, I'm back at in the same space, just a different context. Early 2018, and my emptiness comes from giving my career for everyone but me, to take responsibility. Owning my autonomy comes with owning my responsibility. Right now, I am where I am career wise based on my actions. Many things that inform where I am not, is based on me not acting on my talent or my goals. Things based on fear to starting. All of this is my fault - which is honestly the best news for me. Seeing that I am the cause of my unhappiness, I can also be the cause of my own fulfillment. I just need to own my responsibility in owning my space. This is what both makes me powerful as a human, and vulnerable. My responsibility in self is me determining that I am the master of my own destiny. I am the sole person that I get angry or frustrated with - and I find myself mirroring that with other people due to my lack of ownership. However, now I know. My inner self was only asking for me to stop creating mirrors out of others and face an actual mirror and see power within me. I fully understand why I moved from the space I was in to where I am now, and how my feeling of emptiness is not translating into a bloodied bathtub but rather a moment of stillness and self introspection in my journal. I am aware that I have transitioned into more healthier practices of mental healthcare, but the larger picture is being fully accountable of my life. This is the only currency to realizing your dreams.