1. You’re not as fucked up as you feel. Nothing is wrong with you. You’re not broken. You’re not a lost cause. You’re not destined to fail, destined to disappoint, destined to feel this miserable forever. You need to stop beating yourself up about things you’ve done wrong in the past and the questions you have about your future. Above all, you need to stop feeling so ashamed about the way your mind works, because your feelings are valid. Your fears are valid. You are valid.

2. All you need to focus on is today, this second, this moment. It can be overwhelming to wonder about tomorrow and then next day and the day after that. But you don’t have to think too hard about your future right now. You can focus on the moment. Focus on getting through whatever you are feeling, right now, and worry about the rest later. Right now is all that matters. And right now, you need to breathe.

3. You can’t put off asking for help for any longer. You should reach out to someone who can help you get through this time, whether it’s a therapist or a trusted friend. You’ve held onto your feelings for long enough. You’ve tried staying silent — and now you should try being honest. Instead of worrying about how others might look at you if they heard the ‘crazy’ thoughts swarming around in your brain, you should be more worried about what will happen if you never say those words out loud. You should be more worried about what will happen to you if you bottle everything up inside. You need to work through your pain. You need to take the proper steps to heal yourself, and that requires asking for help.

4. You know yourself better than anyone else does. Other people might assume you’re fine. They might have no idea you’re going through tough times because you keep your worries in your head and save your crying for when you’re all alone. You can’t wait around for someone else to realize you’re struggling and help solve the problem. No one else is going to play the part of your hero. You need to take care of your problems on your own. After all, you know yourself best. If something is wrong, you shouldn’t ignore the feeling in your gut. You shouldn’t keep putting off getting help until you reach your breaking point. Take your future into your own hands. Start taking better care of yourself today, because you deserve it more than you realize.

5. You are going to survive this, just like you’ve survived everything else. You can’t waste too much time doubting yourself. You can’t question your strength. You’ve made it this far. Even though it was hard. Even though there were moments when you wanted to give up hope. Even though you struggled. You’ve proven yourself wrong before and you’re going to do it again. You’re going to be okay again soon. You’re going to get through these harsh moments.