Woman's Post-Panic Attack Photo Raises Awareness and Erases Stigma, and We Love It

Anyone who struggles with mental illness knows how difficult it can be to share those struggles with the world.

Stigma and shame force us to feel like we need to hide, keep our problems to ourselves, and carry on presenting what we feel is the best version of ourselves to the world. We don't talk about problems with mental health, hoping they'll go away on their own or at least minimize enough to seem less relevant.

Amber Smith, a young woman from the UK is one such person. Smith, who struggles with anxiety and depression, found herself so frustrated with stigma, outside pressures and misinformation, that she took a stand on her Facebook earlier this month.

Smith posted two photos side-by-side, one of her "normal" self which she describes as "Dressed up, make up done, filters galore," and one of herself after experiencing a panic attack. She detailed the post-attack photo as also being a "normal" side to her, just one "that most people don't see":

Smith went on to talk about the stigma and microaggressions people direct at her, and said that ultimately she wanted this post to be able to help shed just a bit of light on issues of mental health and well-being:

"To anyone who is going through the same, please do not suffer in silence. There is so much support around - Don't be scared to ask for help. This is why I can't stress enough that it costs nothing to be nice to others. Don't bully others, don't put others down and the hardest one of them all (as we have all done it at some point) don't judge another person. We're all human regardless of age, race, religion, wealth, job. So build one another up instead of breaking each other down. Peace & love guys ☮❤."

Since making the post April 3, Smith has received much attention for the photos. She says she's received countless messages from others who share her struggles with anxiety and depression, and has inspired others to post similar side-by-side comparison photos of themselves in an effort to start a conversation about mental health with their loved ones.

Today, Smith is a trending topic on Facebook, which is helping to spread her message even further.

What is so wonderful about all of this is that Smith was able to use a hugely popular platform to share her personal story and help create greater dialogue about a vital topic.

Stigma is something that everyone in the LGBT community can understand. It's something everyone in our community has faced at some point, and therefore we can all understand the need to dismantle it. Additionally, there are plenty of LGBT folks who struggle with mental health (or who have a loved one that does) and can therefore understand this brand of stigma on a personal level. We understand the necessity for tough conversations and real talk. We understand that breaking down barriers like shame and stigma are crucial.

Conversations about mental health and mental illness are hugely important if we are to accomplish the goal of destigmatization and education (a goal Smith and many others around the world share). 

Here's hoping that stories like Amber Smith's will help to create that vital dialogue so that we can continue to move towards a world that is not only more accepting of anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses, but one that also creates more resources for those who live with those struggles every day.