Depression and anxiety are not signs of weakness, but signs of an ongoing internal struggle

For too long disorders such as anxiety and depression were underestimated at both the institutional level and in relation to social awareness.

Today, these disorders have won recognition as being authentic pathologies, and are now acknowledged as being problematic enough to have disabling effects.

However, no matter what the social norms are now, there is still a lot of ignorance and skepticism about these pathologies that are often diminished, and considered to be simply signs of weakness or attention seeking behavior.

via healthline.com

To be anxious or depressed does not mean to that one is weak or fragile, but rather that one has been strong for too long, struggling valiantly against the difficulties of life until you have exhausted all your resources, both emotional and physical.

This type of stress affects the psychological sphere through the nervous system by affecting and modifying the chemistry of the brain, and thus, this is not autosuggestion or an exaggeration. 

No one would dare ever tell a diabetic that to treat their illness all they need to do is "react" differently,  but when it is the mind and the soul to suffer, this is the way that many still treat those who are victims of these problems.

This situation creates shame and embarrassment so much so that many deny their discomfort, although in this way they also preclude even the possibility of asking for help and to heal.

Anyone can be hit by anxiety or depression, both the strong and less strong, at any time, without any distinction. The prejudices that still exist make one feel inadequate as if one is so lacking in willpower, character, and backbone that one is not able to face and overcome these “silly fantasies”. 

Things, in reality, are very different because emotional disorders cannot be healed by oneself, in the same way as any other pathology that cannot be managed or resolved without the help of a specialist and the proper remedies.

Depression and anxiety are almost always two sides of the same coin. The first is empty, dark, and absent of stimuli, both of joy and of pain, a lack of emotion, and a crushing feeling of death or non-life.

The second is a kind of crippling agitation combined with the fear of fear, a looming panic about something that is about to happen and you have no idea when or if this sensation will go away.

From both of these conditions, however, one can emerge and go back to a life that is full and normal, one can still have social relationships and manage and improve one's existence.

Anxiety and depression are not choices, but if one stops feeling guilty or ashamed, then one can choose to heal. This can be done with the help of a therapist and with the support of people who understand and respect what you are going through.