Mental Health

You may have noticed that I’ve been quiet for a few months. If you follow me on social media, you know there’s a reason for that.

The most I feel comfortable saying is that some awful things happened in my personal life this year that triggered PTSD from past abuse and multiple suicidal episodes.

And just as I was starting to feel like I was bouncing back, the awful thing happened again.

So, yeah, I definitely haven’t been in a great place emotionally this year, and it’s hard to be online when I’m barely here at all. But I’m trying to get back to a better place, despite it all.

It’s ironic that I missed Mental Health Awareness Month because of my mental health (and I feel like this isn’t even the first time it’s happened 😅). But this issue is very important to me, so I’d rather say something late than not at all.

If you’ve read my books, you know that representing mental illness honestly—flaws and all—is something I’m passionate about. If we only care about mental health when the person or character is perfect and not when they make mistakes, then we don’t actually care about mental health—because perfect people don’t exist.

I try to be honest about my own struggles with mental illness, just as I try to represent mental illness honestly in my books—even when it’s embarrassing, even when it’s scary, even when it makes me feel unbearably vulnerable, even when it hurts.

With as much as I’ve been unable to see this about myself, it’s important to me that you know you already deserve love, just as you are. 💚

You don’t have to be okay. You don’t have to pretend to be. You deserve love, regardless. 💚

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And since I don’t think I’ve said it here, happy last day of Pride! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

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