Aine P.
Photography by Katie Fox
If you’re reading this, it’s okay to be lost.
Our culture, especially college culture, places a high premium on authenticity. I’m sure none of us can count the amount of times we’ve been told to be ourselves, but what does that even mean? Fears of inauthenticity and being an imposter are especially prevalent when you have mental illness.
As a trans woman with diagnoses of depression, anxiety, and OCD, I have long struggled with my identity. I won’t lie and tell you that the journey of discovery is easy, but it also is not impossible. I won’t lie and say that it is easy to be lost in the darkness of ambiguity and despair, but it also is never permanent.
Uncertainty and identity-finding are a lot easier if you have help, and without a good support system, it can be incredibly difficult and even traumatic. If you think there is something beneath the surface that you want to explore, be it neurodiversity, gender or sexual diversity; or even if you’re questioning your values, make sure you reach out for help.
You’re not in this alone. I’m rooting for you.
Aine P., Wake Forest
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