Maddie F.
Photography by Joseph Bui
If you’re reading this, it’s okay to not be okay.
In the past, I have struggled a lot talking about mental health because I did not want my anxiety to be something that defined me. I did not want to be labeled as weak. I did not want to share my imperfections and vulnerabilities. However, my anxiety began to take over and control me. It took charge over my thoughts, feelings, and behavior. I spent so much time worrying about things that were out of my control. I felt like I couldn’t escape my anxiety. My relationship with my mental health changed when I began to understand that instead of escaping it, I needed to learn how to cope with it. I started to lean into my anxiety as opposed to deflecting it, which meant talking about it, educating myself about it, writing about it.
When I became more open about my experience with anxiety, it became so clear that I wasn’t alone. I had friends, family members, teammates, and classmates experiencing their own struggles with mental health. Yes, we each had our own unique triggers, struggles, and reactions, but it was so powerful for me to feel this support. Shared experiences are so incredibly powerful. The people who loved me and supported me showed me that it was okay to not be okay. I did not have to put up a front or silence my thoughts and feelings in an effort to be perfect. If you’re reading this, realize you are enough just as you are. I challenge you to lean into understanding and learning more about your experiences with your own mental health while still remembering that your mental health does not define who you are.
I am a sister, a friend, a student, an athlete, a teammate, AND I have anxiety.
Maddie F., Colby College
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