Introduction to Ashley Horsfall, Author of ‘Getting Through Tough Times’
I’m Ashley Horsfall and I am excited to be writing Getting Through Tough Times. I have been dealing with depression and anxiety since before I was even a teenager, and I’m now in my mid-20s. My conditions were not diagnosed until just three years ago, and today I still struggle. My journey with mental illness has not been easy, and it certainly hasn’t been consistent; however, I am passionate about helping people like me learn how to cope with depression and anxiety of their own.
The Beginning of Ashley’s Depression and Anxiety
I went through a number of intense changes, tough times, throughout my childhood. I had several step-dads before I turned eight, and then suddenly new sets of step-brothers and step-sisters. My family moved every other year and it felt that I had no security, no safe spot. I found myself withdrawing, finding solace in books and writing whenever possible. I was isolating myself because I was afraid, and I found myself with an intense fear of criticism and a looming sadness I could not shake.
Physically, things settled down by the time I turned 15. Emotionally, they were just getting started. I started college just after I turned 17 but found myself struggling. I was too anxious to go to class and, some days, too depressed to get out of bed. I ended up dropping out of school to take a break, not realizing that what I needed was support for mental illness. It still took six years for me to seek professional, mental health help, and by this point I spent a significant amount of my time crying or trying to get out of bed. I knew that something was terribly wrong.
Ashley’s Depression and Anxiety Today
Today, I am back in school, studying psychology. In spite of having anxiety that affects my social life, I have traveled to Europe on my own and made genuine friends. I am not cured, but I am coping. I struggle every single day with depression and anxiety, and I rarely find myself at peace. The good news? It’s becoming easier.
More About Ashley Horsfall and Mental Illness
Find Ashley on Twitter, Google+, Facebook and on her personal blog.
APA Reference
Horsfall, A.
(2016, October 18). Introduction to Ashley Horsfall, Author of ‘Getting Through Tough Times’, HealthyPlace. Retrieved
on 2024, November 22 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/toughtimes/2016/10/introduction-to-ashley-horsfall