In the writing titled “Everyone Knows Someone” written by Samantha T. I felt like I was able to relate very well to this writing.  Her writing about mental illnesses left me feeling mixed emotions.  I can agree very well with Samantha when she wrote, “People with mental illnesses are often forced to hide their problems because mental illness is still seen as a weakness or even a danger.” I have first hand known what it is like to have a mental illness.  Yes, I did feel weak and in danger.  At the beginning I was diagnosed with PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders associated with Streptoccal Infections).  At first ,when I had not known that I had a mental illness, I was having an immense amount of anxiety about getting sick.  I felt very vulnerable to everything.  After a few days of having this immense anxiety, after I had already told my parents, I decided to tell some trusted people about it.  Some of those trusted people had let me down by telling me to “stop being weak” or “you shouldn’t be so scared of everything.”  I felt like I had no one to go to.  When Samantha wrote, “ What we need to make people aware of- especially those suffering from mental illnesses- is that there is nothing wrong with them.”  I felt “warm” inside, like there was hope for others with mental illness.  It gave me comfort to know that another person gets that someone with a mental illness is still a person, like everyone else there just a little extra “unique.”