Dear Anxiety...

 I believe my experience with anxiety started much sooner than I was able to understand what the word "anxious" really meant. As a child, I struggled with my weight. I was the 9-year-old little girl who felt like she had to count calories to put a stop to the "fat jokes" that people often made about me in school. I was always worried about everything. As a little girl, most children never had to worry about anything but school and simply being a kid. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for me. I would panic about any and everything. I often went into a panic when people did not answer the phone when I called because I feared that something terrible had happened. It was a stressful time because I was never able to live a life that did not consist of me having internal mental battles with myself. One day several years later, I woke up so tired. I was tired of thinking, tired of being tired, and I decided I no longer wanted to feel bad for myself. I wanted to educate myself and take action! 

Pretty Girls With Anxiety is a brand I created with the intent of putting an end to the negative stigma surrounding mental health and the perception of how people view people with mental health. Whenever I would tell people that I suffered from anxiety and depression they would always say to me, " You don't look mentally ill." "Can young women have anxiety?!" These comments always frustrated me because I always wondered, "What does mental illness look like?". Pretty Girls with Anxiety's products are considered "Self Care, You Can Wear". Our products include t-shirts, hoodies, hats, mugs, etc. Our products serve as self care reminders to people who suffer from mental illness and anyone who may simply need a daily confidence boost. As women, we are already more susceptible to experiencing anxiety and depression in our lifetimes than our male counterparts, so we must take care of our mental health. Especially, during such stressful times.

When I first began researching the mental health community, The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) was one of the first mental health organizations that I came across. To my surprise, they were located close to where I live. I was elated when I discovered their platform because I felt like I had found a safe place where there were resources for people who were just like me. For once, I did not feel alone. I did not feel like I had to battle this illness by myself. Starting in 2016, I set up an online Facebook fundraiser to raise money for ADAA every year for my birthday. That has always been my way of giving back to the organization that shares my mission, which is to break mental health stigmas. It would be an absolute pleasure to be an ally to the same organization that helped me find the strength to fight back! It is not an easy battle, but I am never going to stop fighting. There is no reward for suffering. There is no greatness in suffering, and I feel compelled to be a part of the solution. 

Carima J. Cassell
Owner of Pretty Girls With Anxiety

Pretty Girls With Anxiety is a safe space for ALL WOMEN, but especially the women who battle depression and anxiety. We believe that when you look pretty, you feel pretty! Shop our site with CONFIDENCE, and feel pretty EVERYDAY!!  

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