Why are you drawn to people on the outer edges of life? Is there something in your life that has drawn you to them?

I don’t think I am necessarily drawn to people on the outer edges of life per say. The word outer edges puts them in a category often overlooked and judge harshly. I think I am drawn to people who have unique perspectives on life and are unfortunately isolated, put out from the major parts of society. Although the US is an amazing place to be and I am extremely lucky to live here, there are some downfalls. The increasing issues connected to mental health strike a nerve with me. I live everyday battling clinical depression even though I have everything I need to live a happy, healthy life. There is something to be said about that. Most of the time people don’t chose to make themselves an outcast, our society does that for them. I feel that if I can share the stories of the people dealing with mental health disorders, I can truly make a difference in the way the rest of the US sees them.
So I guess I could say I am drawn to the people on the outer edges of life because I could be one of them. If I didn’t have the support of my friends, family and mental health professionals I could very well be living on the street with little to nothing. As soon as people can see that mental illness is just as powerful at destroying a life as cancer then we can begin taking steps to treating it the way it should be. If the vast majority of Americans can see that a person with depression and anxiety deserve the same amount of care as someone with a physical illness then we will start to see change. Until then my job is to spread stories that shift a mindset that is unfortunately concrete in our society.