While the clinical definition helps us understand what depression is, it is a totally different experience when you live with it. Depression is not some vague term that other people have to deal with. I used to view those commercials for antidepressants with casual disregard. Now, those commercials apply to me and often describe my very life.

I have my good days and my bad. It is worth noting that I am not on medication at the moment, but I am in therapy and have been since I was first diagnosed. Honestly, I probably should be on medication, but I will get into that more on a later post.

Lately, I have been having mostly bad days. Things in my life have not been going well. I used to have a plan, but unfortunately, my depression derailed that. For those of you without depression, this may be hard for you to understand, but depression seeps into every part of your life and turns it upside down.

It is not a matter of just “getting over it” or “thinking positively”. Telling me that “there are other people worse off than you” or “you don’t look depressed”, is not helpful either. Honestly, I mostly want you to listen and show me that you care.

Often, it is a struggle just to get out of bed and many days, I feel like I am fighting just to survive. One of the biggest issues I find with suffering from depression, is not the the disease itself, although that is a struggle. But the biggest issue from my point of view, is the lack of understand that the general public has towards mental illness. The stigmas attached to mental illness, are oftentimes more difficult to live with, than the illness itself.

I want everyone to understand that depression can get the better of us. It can be fatal, but it does not have to be. With more understanding, and tolerance towards mental health, we can ensure that more people survive. I want you to understand mental illness, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Depression is not the same for everyone, but with a general understanding we can make the world a better place.