“we all have the power to set ourselves free from depression”

For those who struggle with depression, understand that you are not alone. It's understandable when we feel like it completely consumes us and takes all the light from within our hearts. That being said, it doesn't mean you should let it run your life.

Take my battle with it as an example. I had crippling depression to where it took so much out of me that my grades were severely crushed, I had no motivation, I inflicted self-harm, and even almost committed a suicide. On top of all that I never really got to have a life outside of my home, because I never got to socialize until I was 18. So dealing with all that, and not having anyone to go to, I felt like the chains that bound me would never disappear.

All those years felt like decades, and it gave me a lot of time to think. I understood that there is good and bad in all lives. I was unhappy, but that was because I never took action to make myself happy. It seems difficult to think that we have control over these feelings when we feel the whole world is crumbling around us. Know that we all have the power to set ourselves free from depression, but you have to understand your demons before fighting them.

I learned that I wasn't what everyone saw me as, I was my own person. I can be happy, but it is not something that can be given to me, it has to be fought for. Once I started being who I am, and started letting go of all the bad things I focused on, the good in my life started to take over. I was able to start over and begin my journey of redemption, living life by being who I am and living how I want to.

My best advice to give to all who struggle with this, is to understand that there is always gonna be both light and darkness in our lives. You get to choose what becomes a part of you. In time you will be able to grow and learn how to deal with depression. The light never dies out, even in the darkest night there is always hope. I believe in all of you and I believe that being more open and aware of our mental health will be a big step forward into reducing the damage it inflicts onto our lives.

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-an anonymous contribution-