America’s Got Talent Contestant Shows Incredible Strength [VIDEO]

Personal strength is a very tricky thing. We all handle adversity in our lives in different ways. Finding that strength to tackle what is thrown our way is not always easy. For some, it seems impossible. 

This segment of America's Got Talent was very personal for me. In an audition for this season, 20-year-old Anna Clendening revealed that she has battled anxiety disorder, panic attacks and depression since the age of 14.

That's about the age it started for me. I have depression, generalized anxiety disorder and OCD. Like Anna, battling depression and going through panic attacks is a very real part of my life. I've learned to manage it, but some days are better than others.

When I was watching this video and Anna said:

It felt like my mind had given up on me. I didn't know how to bring myself out of it.

I literally had to stop the video. I've never really been able to put my struggles into words. But those two sentences pinpoint things exactly.

How does one "get out of it?" While a support system of family and friends helps, it ultimately comes down to powering through it. Digging down and finding strength that you didn't know you had.

I don't bring up my mental illness for pity or to make excuses. Do I talk about it to get attention? Absolutely. It's the attention that is necessary to fight the stigma of mental illness.

It needs to be easier to talk about this topic in an open forum without feeling like people will judge you or think less of you. It's actually quite the opposite. Those who have a chemical imbalance in their brain that causes everyday stresses to be harder to deal with are personally stronger than most.

In closing, watch this young girl who was bedridden at one point, show off her amazing talent despite being paralyzed by anxiety. It's truly inspiring.
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