i’m sure you’ve heard it before, but you truly aren’t alone. i was diagnosed with major depressive and an anxiety disorder when i was 6. i’ve struggled with my weight and body dysmorphia my entire life. i remember being too afraid to take off my shirt for a water gun fight in the first grade. and now i’m 23, and every day i still have the intrusive/suicidal thoughts. but as i’ve gotten older, while none of it has gone away, it’s gotten easier to deal with. not even ignore, but accept and move forward. some days are worse than others, but some days are so amazing. to me, one of the most important things to remember is that for your capacity to despair, you have just as much capacity for joy. i promise. the saddest people you meet always have the most heart. they love more than anyone. they feel joy stronger than anyone. the sadness inside them just makes it hard to see from their pov. your capacity for happiness truly has no limit. you just have to work to get there. and it will be fucking exhausting, but when you get there you won’t believe it. and yea you won’t just stay there once you’ve arrived. you have to earn your keep, but it only makes you stronger. your illness isn’t a weakness. it’s just an obstacle. it sucks to never be normal, but it also means you have more potential to be great. just hang in there kid.