Depression
Legacy Name: Depression

Depression

What is Depression? There are many things you can look up that researchers will tell you what it feels like. Like how it drains your energy, hope, and drive. Difficult to do day-to-day activities, etc.

However experiencing depression and having it may at times be very hard to explain. Depression is not just feeling "sad" all of the time. The symptoms many have are beyond sadness. There isn't an easy fix to overcoming these immense emotions and illness because after all depression is an illness. For many it can be a chemical imbalance, an inheritance, come from tragedy, trauma or a physical illness that a lot of people who do not experience have trouble understanding what it really is or feels like.

"Depression is living in a body that fights to survive, with a mind that tries to die"- Unknown

It feels like no one around understands these feelings of worthlessness, agony, pain, overwhelming thoughts, feelings of giving up. But there are many of us who do understand, who also know what it's like. Who also have to conquer a battle of our own minds.


"Self-care isn't always manicures, bubble baths and eating healthy food. Sometimes it's forcing yourself to get out of bed, take a shower and participate in life again."- Meredith Marple

Depression will be difficult to do normal day activities, difficult to concentrate, difficult to remember things and difficult to see any good in anything. Happiness may seem strange and abnormal at times when we're deeply distraught and this is where knowing that reaching out is not a sign of weakness and neither is crying.

Many of us were taught that shedding tears makes you weak, but even sources say that crying stimulates the production of endorphin's- the hormone that makes us feel good, less stressed and better than we were because we are releasing the built up stress and in my personal experience crying helps me a lot.

"Crying does not indicate you're weak. Since birth, is has always been a sign that you are alive"-Unknown

Reaching out is hard, extremely hard. There will be people who will lash out at you, belittle you, tell you to get over it or stop being the way you are. But once you do it, once you find the ones you truly want to be there, who care so so much about you, who show you so much love and concern. It will make it a lot less harder each time you do reach out. 2/3's of people struggling with depression will not seek help. Reach out. I promise you, you will not regret it.

Depression becomes a heavy weight and makes your mind think in many negative ways. One that is common is feeling you are a burden for others around you. You may feel worthless and unlovable. But you need to know and you need to remember that you are not a burden, that everyday you are fighting and that you are strong regardless of what your mind is telling you. That you are loved and that you are never ever alone because there are people like me and you seeking each other, lending out our hands wanting to support and be with you because we know and we want to be there.

"Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you have come. Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won, and all the fears you have overcome."-Unknown

Telling someone you have depression may be scary because you don't know everyone's reactions. But despite the stigma about the illness you never really know who you be helping as well by opening up to a friend or family member. Some of us are silent sufferer's and it just takes one step towards helping each other.
"One of the worst parts of mental illness is this idea of isolation and silent struggle. There’s this belief that your feelings and behaviors are wrong and that they must be hidden and denied. The only way we are going to make the mental health system better is if all we all start having honest dialogues about what we or our loved ones need to be healthy."

The famous actor/wrestler "The Rock" says "I found out that with depression one of the most important things you could realize is that you're not alone. You're not the first to go through it, you're not going to be the last to go through it and often times it happens. You feel like you're alone, and you feel like it's only you and you're in your bubble... and I wish I had someone at that time, who, who could just pull me aside and say "Hey it's gonna be okay. It will be ok." So I wish I knew that. You just gotta remember. Hold on to that fundamental quality of faith. Have Faith and on the other side of your pain is something good."

The important, the most important thing to remember when you have depression is that you are not alone. That many many many of us are suffering and sufferers. That we understand what you're going through, what you've been through, but also what you are capable of. Depression isn't partial, we can be rich, we can be poor, we can be famous or someone we've never met and it is important to know that you are never alone. Never.

Depression can stem from a lot of places and events, whether it is an illness, an injury, family history, or a traumatic experience. Whichever it came from, there is still a way to recovery. It may take months, years, or a lifetime.

However hope, faith and the strength we individually have inside of us is what gets us through it what will get us through it, to keep fighting. Though there is no easy fix and though there is no instant cure there are things out there that can help each one of us whether it is therapy, medication or a companion or our partner(s) or even a website like this. There is always, always something out there to help us heal, to help us cope.

Together we can make a difference fighting with each other side by side.

"There are no bonds so strong as those which are formed by suffering together." - Harriet Ann Jacobs

Credits: Profile by: Ringo
Writing/Story by: Riu
Art by: User not found: ursa

Resources

What happens when you really have no one to talk about this with? There are many places that you can find either near you or even online. I personally have spoken to a few people who can relate but when I thought I couldn't or shouldn't I found other resources and organizations to help me when needed.

Text chat: text“GO” to: 741741 (personally used)
Suicide hotline: 1-800-273-8255 (personally used)
Also has a chatline Here
Trevor Project Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386
Crisis chat
Good Samaritans (UK)
List of Crisis lines
Mental Health Screening Tools
Families for Depression Awareness
Personality disorder awareness network
To Write love on her arms
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
National Alliance On Mental Illness
National Institute of Mental Health

Credits: Profile by: Ringo
Writing/Story by: Riu and other quotes credited within
Art by: User not found: ursa

Extras

Books
Depression is a liar-series by Danny Baker
Growing up again by Jean Illsley Clarke
Dear Sister by Lisa Factora-Borchers
Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig

Other Quotes
"We live in a world where if you break your arm, everyone runs over to sign your cast. But if you tell people you're depressed, everyone runs the other way... We are so, so, so accepting of any body part breaking down other than our brains. And that is ignorance. That's pure ignorance. And that ignorance has created a world that doesn't understand depression, that doesn't understand mental health."-Danny Baker's "Depression is a liar"

"Build someone up. Put their insecurities to sleep. Remind them they are worthy. Tell them they are magical. Be their light in a too often dim world." -Unknown

"To that one soul reading this; I know you're tired, you're fed up, you're so close to breaking. But there's strength within you, even when you feel weak. Keep fighting"-Unknown

"Anybody ever tell you the etymology of the word "psychiatry"? "The medical treatment of the soul." Isn't that glorious?"-Chicago med/Latin meaning for psychiatry.


"The stigma of not talking about depression is something I will never follow, as one who suffers from it, deeply understands it and has family and friends who also suffer. I'll never stop talking about it and I'll never be afraid to speak about it." -Riu(Julie I.)

"If today was not a good day, remember this: "You deserve to be here. I deserve to be here. We deserve to exist. We deserve life. Keep failing. Keep trying. Keep fighting. Keep living." via The Mighty

"I know you're sad, so I won't tell you to have a good day. Instead, I advise you to simple have a day. Stay alive, feed yourself well, wear comfortable clothes, and don't give up on yourself just yet. It'll get better. Until then, have a day."-Unknown

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about."-Unknown

"In case nobody told you today.
You're beautiful, You're loved, You're needed, You're alive for a reason, You're stronger than you think, You're gonna get through this, I'm glad you're alive, and don't ever give up." -Unknown

"Healing doesn't mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls our lives."-Unknown

"Having a mental illness does not make you weak, and it does not make you a bad or dangerous person."-via The Mighty

"It's truly wonderful to know how alone we truly aren't"-Unknown

"Your mind will always believe everything you tell it. Feed it faith. Feed it truth. Feed it love."-Unknown

"Trauma permanently changes us.
This is the big scary truth about trauma: there is no such thing as "getting over it".
The five stages of grief model marks universal stages in learning to accept loss, but the reality is in fact much bigger: a major life disruption leaves a new normal in it's wake. There is no "back to the old me". You are different now, full stop.

This is not a wholly negative thing. Healing from trauma can also mean finding new strength and joy.
The goal of healing is not a papering-over of changes in an effort to preserve or present things as normal.
It is to acknowledge and wear your new life- warts, wisdom, and all- with courage"- Catherine woodlwiss

Credits: Profile by: Ringo
Writing/Story by: Riu and other quotes credited within
Art by: User not found: ursa