Depression is like waves in the ocean, the tide changing from gentle crests to crashing waves that feel like they are pressing you deeper into the sea. Most days I ride the waves with confidence, but then on days like today, I feel like I am drowning. It comes without warning, stays for awhile, then returns to the place it my mind where it hibernates until the next time. Minutes, hours, days, I never know when or why. It’s my normal and I am not alone.
Many people don’t know of my inner struggles. Society stigmatizes mental health issues; anxiety, depression, and OCD are just a few ways to say someone is not well…crazy. Therapy has become a dirty word and no one wants to admit they need help. I myself worry about what people would think if they knew my truths. But the truth is simply this. I am human. I have many different thoughts and feelings. Some are positive and healthy, others are not. Call it depression, anxiety, mental illness, I am not ashamed. I take medicine and I go to therapy, not to become well, but to grow. I work daily to become a better, stronger person. I am human, this is normal, I am enough.
