Abby
Abby
We save each other
Abby and her sister have more in common than just family ties. They also both struggle with depression and anxiety.
We hit a very low point at the same time, and I remember sitting on the floor, cross-legged with her, holding each other and crying.
Abby has been in therapy since age 7. In grade school, she had trouble making friends, and she describes social situations back then as paralyzing.
You know when you have to go in for an interview or speak in front of a class, and you feel like you can’t breathe? That’s me from the minute I wake up until I close my eyes and go to sleep.
Abby spent much of middle school in the nurse’s office, enduring panic attacks. Then in high school, she would need major back surgery to correct a severe spinal curvature.
By her senior year, the pressure of making up the work she had missed, taking three AP classes, and enduring a run-in with an ex-boyfriend pushed Abby to the edge.
Admitted to the mental health unit at the local hospital, Abby finally received a diagnosis of severe anxiety disorder and was prescribed medication. She’s now working with toddlers and will soon start classes toward a degree in early childhood education at a community college.
I adore working with the kids at the daycare. But I still have those days when I want to curl up and hide away.
Abby made the decision to become an aggressive advocate for mental health issues when she learned her little sister had been cutting herself as a way to cope with her depression.
Abby hopes speaking about her own story will help dampen the misconceptions and harsh judgments some people have about mental health. And she wants anyone who is struggling to know that if you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Having someone to open up to, cry with, and hold you really makes a difference.
My sister has become the most important person in my life. It’s crazy to think that a 16-year-old has pushed me past the most difficult things in my life. We have both come so far.
