You have mental illness, but it isn’t who you ARE.

You have mental illness, but it isn’t who you ARE.

“We cannot define ourselves by our symptoms because we are more than broken or neuroatypical brains. We are human beings who have beautiful unique qualities that we are meant to share with the world. Do not let anyone tell you who you are based on your diagnosis. That is unacceptable, and you can do better than that. You are a myriad of things besides being bipolar, anxious, borderline, or depressed. You are who you are and people love you for that.

Look in the mirror and truly see yourself for the beautiful human you are. You are someone who people care about, you are a person who has objective value. You are a friend, a sibling, a daughter or son, a co-worker, and a valued member of society. There is nothing stopping you from succeeding at whatever your passion is. Look inside yourself and ask: What am I good at? How can I share that with the world?

You can.” (Sarah Fader)