“Who cares if you don’t have your first kiss until you’re 21?
Stop putting so much pressure on yourself in life and in school.
Take it easy, kiddo.”
Elijah O’Donnell
1.I would tell myself to wait for tomorrow.
If tomorrow sucks, wait for the next day or the one after that.
Even if theres one great day ahead, that one day could make up for all the bad ones.
Stop putting your faith in other people and instead believe in yourself, become your own best friend.
You are stronger than you know.
2.College is better than high school.
And dont worry about not achieving milestones in time.
Who cares if you dont have your first kiss until youre 21?
Stop putting so much pressure on yourself in life and in school.
Take it easy, kiddo.
4.The depression never totally stops, but you learn to work through it.
Just take a moment, take a breath, and keep moving forward in life.
Just keep moving and dont ever give up.
Giving up is the worst, because it allows you to make excuses.
5.Id tell my younger self not to give a damn so much about middle school and high school bullshit.
Also, dont let one person distract you from making a future for yourself and potential family.
That person might not be around later, your future will always be there.
8.You know when you have the flu and your nose is blocked?
Thats happiness post depression.
9.Surviving and living are two different things.
Keeping your head above water is different than swimming to shore.
Just surviving isnt enough.
10.Id tell myself to see a doctor and get some antidepressants/anti-anxiety meds sooner.
Sertaline has completely changed my life over the last 10 months.
11.Youre right kid, life sucks like hell.
Dying is always a choice, but not being dead is not.
Youre going to die anyway so you might as well see what this life thing is about.
Its pretty fucking great once you know what you like about it.
13.It feels good to realize that the things I was so worried about did not really matter.
Also, medication can work very well if you find one that works for you.
I went through at least 5 before I found one that really made me happy.
17.Dont worry so much about girls, worry more about friends.
Just because theyre not attracted to you now, that doesnt mean they never will be.
Focus on studying and making actual friends, youll wind up having plenty of sex eventually.
You do have friends, and some people like you, believe it or not.
Give them your time and attention and it will come back to you many times over.
You are worthy of friendship, of affection, of love, and most importantly of life.
Respect your self, and others will follow.
Death is permanent and itll find you eventually.
Theres no reason to rush it.
18.Extreme emotion is a part of life.
Knowing your limits is important, but trying to push beyond is just as important.
You have food allergies.
Life is not going to happen to you.
Life is rather like a puzzle piece.
Youre not sure what the image looks like, but time forces you to place pieces as you go.
Try your best to make that puzzle the best puzzle it’s possible for you to.
Control your emotions, take your lumps when you deserve them, but dont let that hobble you.
This life is about trying your best.
You may not reach as high as others but you must try.
I wish I had this epiphany in high school.
Reputation is absolute bullshit.
Nobody after high school gives a FUCK, including you.
Stop obsessing over things that dont make you a better person.
Dont smoke cigarettes & WEAR A CONDOM.
20.The future will always be scary, but youll find some good people to help you through.
21.I wish I could say something that would mean something but Im still working on figuring it out myself.
22.Get mental health services now and deal with your feelings.
23.Its a struggle, but its worth it.
Even things that dont necessarily get better get easier to deal with as you become more familiar with yourself.
Ive been able to help people with the same struggles I went through and its an incredibly fulfilling thing.
Get your solid footing.
Let people who love you help you.
Relationships with your family, friends, and yourself are more important than you think.
24.There are so so soo much things in the whole wide world that can give you Life.
Give it time and chance.
Dont dread on your current sad, meaningless and depressing life.
It will be better than it ever was, even before all of this.
One day your big sister is going to need you.
and you better be there.
She wont get through this without you, and you will be the person who holds it together.
You are not a burden.
Your family needs you.
The world needs you.
You will not suffer like this forever.
You will not ever be in this place again.
Not without the tools to get yourself out.
You wont believe a single thing Ive said above, but remember who you are.
Remember who you were before all of this that is the real you.
Dont give up on her.
That kid is worth fighting for.
As for what its like to be here?
And some days its a really fucking hard choice.
But it is always the right one.
26.I would tell younger me not to make decisions based on the expectations of others.
Also, just because someone says no, its not the end of the world just keep trying.
27.Ive heard suicide survivors describe how the second after they offd themselves, they experience instant regret.
Reality kicks in and they realize that suicide is not the answer.
Im glad I didnt make it to the point of no return.
Im glad I gave myself time.
29.Its not you, its them.
Stop blaming yourself for other peoples mistakes and get on with your life.
You are not what they did to you.
30.I guess Id tell my younger self to get help, get your adhd diagnosed and treated.
Get therapy and medication as early as you’re able to.
Learn to manage money and think of the future.
You might just make it there.
31.Its ok to ask for help.
32.That youll still be depressed sometimes, but youll get better at recognizing it and coping.
Also antidepressants can be great.
If youre going to end your life, at least start a new one.
35.At 26 Ive been thinking the same thought since I was like 15.
Dont kill yourself yet.
Procrastination seems to work really well for me in this respect.
I guess what it comes down to is, Im trying to achieve stuff despite the urge to die.
Save money youre going to need it for therapy!
37.Im so glad Im still here today.
You didnt give up and you saved yourself.
39.Id tell myself to get on medication sooner.
I spent years refusing medication.
It wasnt until I turned 28 that I started taking meds, and it has completely changed my life.
40.Its important to have bonds, I think.
Im not emotionally close with my parents and in fact they were sort of abusive.
But, when I was young I had my grandmother.
She loved me so much, guys.
And she lost a kid to suicide when he was 20.
I couldnt hurt her again like that.
Shortly after I got married, she got really sick really fast.
Shes barely functional and variously there or not these days.
Apparently, God took that literally.
But these days, Im happier than I have any right to be based on my circumstances.
I have pet cats and rescue more by fostering.
When the financial problems get awful, I definitely feelanxious, but I know I have to stay.
We both have to play our part in keeping our heads above water.
If my wife lost me, she would have to return to her hometown.
I wont do that to her.
I also take a stab at plan and give myself some treats, however small.
A dead person cant eat their carefully packed lunch or go to the movies or a friends party.
Cant hit their Fitbit goals, pet a cat, have sex, or try new things.
I spent time in Germany when I was young and really liked Quark .
If I died tonight I would never know.
41.It gets a lot worse before it gets better.
42.Most of my depression stems from an unstable home life.
Now I have my own stable home that I built myself.
I still get depressive episodes but for the most part Im happy.
Take risks, take good care of yourself and make smart choices.
Married my best friend.
Had a gorgeous little baby.
Traveled solo across the country.
Swam in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Made as many friends as I have.
Life is better when youre not worrying about what others think of you.
They cant and never will.
49.The depression never fully goes away.
50.Id tell the young me not to do anything differently.
To become who I am and still continue to become, I had to be her first.
