This is a quote by Bill Clinton. I love this quote because it expresses the truth about mental illness. Our society creates a stigma that does not allow many individuals to seek the help they need. My mission is to spread education about mental health and potentially save lives.

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Your advocate, one voice, ready to reach a massive audience!

My name is Merry. I love the way my name is spelled. Unfortunately, my life has not been so Merry. I am grateful for all God has given me; especially for the necessities that I may have taken for granted. However, I grew up in a broken home. I did not know the true definition of love. To me, love was not receiving any hugs, eating alone, listening to fights, having sleepless nights, escaping home multiple times, falling easily for boys sweet words, embracing negative words and internalizing them, and the list goes on. I fell in love with my husband when I was only 16 years old. In my culture, a young girl who dates a boy/man must get married. Some parent's are more conservative than others. However, I accepted the offer my parents made me. They said, "Either you marry him, or you will  never be able to see him again". At 18 years old, my brain was obviously not fully developed. I agreed, without much hesitation. I thought this it was simple, I love him  and he loves me right? So.. we will live a happy life, right? WRONG.

           We struggled with the first year of marriage. The first reason is because I was young and he was already matured. He constantly guided me into speaking, talking, and acting like a mature young married woman. However, I simply could not. I wanted to be young and my age. Although, I knew he was right; I did not feel right. We eventually separated because I was miserable. I come from a home where you can say what you want and not even think twice about it. Due to the actions of my parents, we had little respect for them. They brought us many years bad memories. We did not see the need of having to be respectful all the time. My family perceived things differently from the other "normal" families. When I would seek advice from them, it would only push me away from my husband. I could decipher what was right from wrong. I eventually, decided to be alone from my husband for a year. In this time, I enjoyed my freedom again. I met an amazing therapist, also. She helped me clarify my life. After meeting her, my life changed because I knew that the way I was raised with values that would make any marriage difficult for me. I appreciate my parents hard work to house me with a beautiful home and giving me all that I need. However, life is so much more than materialistic things. I realized that to be a mother or father to someone you must actually provide a good example of a marriage, have effective communication, be there for your children, uplift them, encourage them, and always guide them into the right path, and allow them to make their own mistakes sometimes. 

      I gained a whole new set of friends and relationships with more americanized people, while separated. It became more clear to me where my faults played a role into the marriage. I could not see it clearly. However, after a few people pointing out my faults that I would display in social environments, I understood. 

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