I have struggled and battled depression and anxiety since I was a teenager. I have reached a point in my life now that I finally feel safe to speak and tell my story. The purpose of this piece IS to draw attention – to draw attention and create awareness for an illness that affects many people around us. While some people do open up and tell their story, there are still many people who have sat in silence and will continue to sit in silence for a fear of judgement and a fear of being treated differently. A mental illness does not have a physical feature. It does not show on the outside of a person. Because of that, some people are really good at hiding the darkness they feel.