Plastics- Mikaela Gatewood

I'd say that the best advice I've ever been given is that you can't control other people. I'm sure that this seems like common sense to most people, but to me this was kind of a difficult lesson to learn. For a long time there have been people in my life who have significant problems (like depression or various other mental illnesses), and often times need a lot of support and help. I'd get upset when I would try to help them or "make them better" and they didn't seem to improve. It's frustrating to watch a person you love suffer when you're trying to help. But you have to come to the realization, or at least be told like I was, that you can't fix people. You're not their medicine, and they won't get better solely through you trying to help them. While it was difficult to accept this, my life became a lot easier once I did. I stopped getting as upset or generally beating myself up over things that I had no power over. I'm not saying that you shouldn't try and support your loved ones in anyway you can, but realize you're in no way obligated to make their problems go away. It's all you can do to just be there for them. It was an important lesson to learn, and I'm glad someone told me when they did.