To the girl counting calories, hardly eating, and going to the gym after work instead of drinks with her friends -- not because she wants to, but because she has to.

It’s not your fault.

To the mother who just gave birth and can’t look at her baby square in the eyes without crying. She can’t imagine caring for this little person. How will she do it? She withdraws in response to her fears.

It’s not your fault.

To the man afraid to go to the event --- so terrified that he eventually decides not to go. Even thinking about it made his heart race to the point where he almost threw up. He just couldn’t.

It’s not your fault.

To the woman who is caught in a haze of sadness, so much so, that she can hardly get out of bed. She looks put together on the outside, but she's a mess, a tired and sad mess. She has to go to work, but she just wants to crawl back into bed and close her eyes.

It’s not your fault.

To the man who can’t leave the house without washing his hands then counting to ten. He has tried but is compelled to go back to his routine. He can’t help it.

It’s not your fault.

To the men and women with mental illness, it’s not your fault, so don’t hide your struggles out of embarrassment or shame. You are not alone, no matter how weird or different you believe you are. You can get help.

You are a part of the 30 million (with eating disorders).
You are the 1 in 7 (with postpartum depression).
You are a part of the 40 million (with anxiety).
You are a part of the 16 million (with depression).
You are the 1 in 40 adults (with OCD).

And together we’re the 1 in 5 with mental illnesses.

Meaning you are not alone,
and you deserve to get better.

Because it’s not your fault.

This post originally appeared on the author's Facebook. Her book Living FULL: Winning My Battle with Eating Disorder is available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2O4mJId

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