Advertisement
A woman in the UK has shared two selfies on Facebook to open up about the struggles of dealing with anxiety and depression in the age of social media.
When it comes to posting photos on social media, most of us opt for the prettiest picture taken in the best lighting.
But looking great on the outside doesn’t necessarily mean a person must feel just fine on the inside.
As a young woman struggling with anxiety and depression on a daily basis, Amber Smith understands what it’s like to hide her demons behind a smile and a good hair day.
Tired of others thinking she’s OK because her Facebook photos always look nice, Smith has decided to try something different.
In a powerful Facebook post, Smith shared two very different selfies, along with this eye-opening message:
God knows why I’m doing this, but people need some home truths.
Top picture: What I showcase to the world via social media. Dressed up, make up done, filters galore. The ‘normal’ side to me.
Bottom picture: Taken tonight shortly after suffering from a panic attack because of my anxiety. Also the ‘normal’ side to me that most people don’t see.
I’m so sick of the fact that it’s 2016 and there is still so much stigma around mental health. It disgusts me that so many people are so uneducated and judgmental over the topic.
They say that 1 in 3 people will suffer with a mental illness at some point in their life. 1 in 3! Do you know how many people that equates to worldwide?! And yet I’ve been battling with anxiety and depression for years and years and there’s still people that make comments like ‘you’ll get over it’, ‘you don’t need tablets, just be happier’, ‘you’re too young to suffer with that’
FUCK YOU. Fuck all of you small-minded people that think that because I physically look ‘fine’ that I’m not battling a monster inside my head every single day.
Smith’s post really hit home with people all over the world, and in just a matter of days it was shared more than 5,300 times.
Since opening up about her mental health battle, Smith says her inbox has been flooded with positive messages from tons of kindhearted strangers who finally feel like they’re not alone.
