*Trigger Warning: Suicidal Ideation; Guest Post: Arielle Gantt
Live. Love. Laugh. Think happy, be happy. Look to the sunshine…these are the kinds of sayings that make me cringe. As a person with depression, I know how hard it is to battle your own mind day in and day out. Simply “thinking happy” isn’t a cure, and exercise is not the end all be all to recovery. However, sometimes the right mental health quotes – quotes actually written by people who experience mental illness – can be life changing.
7 Mental Health Quotes
Enjoy these seven relatable mental health quotes, each written by someone who has experienced mental illness in their own life.
1. “It’s okay to feel unstable. It’s okay to dissociate. It’s okay to hide from the world. It’s okay to need help. It’s okay not to be okay. Your mental illness is not a personal failure” – Anonymous
I love this mental health quote, because it validates that my mental illness is not my personal failure. I’m currently not working due to a mental health crisis I had in the fall of 2019. It’s so easy for me to get in a pattern of negative thought and feel like a failure and without purpose. But everyone has a purpose and reason for being on this planet.
I am not a failure for having a mental illness, and neither are you or anyone else who experiences mental illness.
2. “I believe depression is legitimate. But I also believe that if you don’t exercise, eat nutritious food, get sunlight, get enough sleep, consume positive material, surround yourself with support, then you aren’t giving yourself a fighting chance.” – Jim Carrey
I typically HATE quotes or advice to exercise to manage depression, but through my recovery this quote by Jim Carrey really resonates with me. When I’m in crisis, none of these things seem manageable; my whole life I’ve been trying to outrun my mental illness, and it ALWAYS catches up. Outrunning it isn’t managing it.
I now treat exercise, healthy food, sunlight, sleep, positive material and support as part of my medicine. I take Lexapro, Wellbutrin, and Abilify to manage my symptoms, but I also need the other things to win the fight.
3. “And every person can benefit from talking to somebody. I’m the most anti-medication person, but some people need medicine, and there was a time where I needed some too.” – Miley Cyrus
I can relate to this mental health quote by Miley; I never wanted to be reliant on medication to manage my depression and anxiety, but here I am – and it’s completely okay! Sometimes we need more than exercise to manage our symptoms. If this describes you too, then congrats on finding a treatment approach that works well for you.
4. “I think the saddest people always try their hardest to make people happy because they know what it’s like to feel absolutely worthless and they don’t want anyone else to feel like that.” -Robin Williams
This is something that I think a lot of us can relate to. I have always been the class clown and the one to make people laugh and people are typically surprised when they find out I have depression. I wouldn’t wish what I fight against in my own mind on my worst enemy.
5. “I fight for my health everyday in ways that most people don’t understand. I’m not lazy. I’m a warrior!” – Unknown
Yes, yes, yes!!! Like I’ve said before, I battle depression, I don’t suffer from it. I am a mental health warrior and I wouldn’t change that if it means I can help other people be warriors too. If you’re struggling with mental illness, you’re a warrior too. Embrace your battle and embrace your victories.
6. “If we start being honest about our pain, our anger, and our shortcomings instead of pretending they don’t exist, then maybe we’ll leave the world a better place than we found it.” – Russell Wilson
I love this mental health quote, because I’m so passionate about ending the stigma of mental illness. I’m very open about my mental illness on social media, and in turn I’ve had numerous people reach out to me telling me about their own struggles; people who I never would’ve known were struggling too.
If you’re struggling with mental illness, know that you’re not alone. Together, we have the power to leave the world a better place.
7. “It doesn’t have to take over your life, it doesn’t have to define you as a person, it’s just important that you ask for help. It’s not a sign of weakness.” – Demi Lovato
Demi says it all in this mental health quote. I was close to taking my own life this past fall (2019), and depression was all too consuming. I’ve never been the type of person to ask for help because I’ve always felt that I needed to figure things out on my own. This time I did ask for help and I was hospitalized for the first time in my life. It wasn’t a sign of weakness. It was the strongest thing I’ve ever done and I’m still here because of it.
Mental Health Quotes to Live By
If you’re experiencing struggles related to mental illness, I hope you feel the strength to reach out for help. I’m here to listen and Cade is too.
*Author Bio: Arielle Gantt is a queer depression and anxiety survivor and advocate. After a mental health crisis in fall 2019, Arielle is currently on a leave of absence from her job and working hard to make a full recovery.