When it comes to mental illnesses, we often feel like the only people who truly understand us are those who go through the exact same thing. So let’s try to change that!

I’ve been battling depression for 10 years now, and I remember it coming very suddenly back in the summer of 2008. It was an overwhelming experience, and I felt alone. Things have changed drastically at home within that past year, and it was starting to take a toll on me. I ran away from home a lot, and it was definitely one of the lowest points in my life.

I can easily say that going to college was by far the best thing to happen to me. Not only because I was able to live somewhere new, and I was studying Psychology. College was definitely when I started taking charge of my mental health. I was learning about the mental health field, joined some clubs on campus that made self-care a top priority, and I picked up dancing. Living on campus is such an amazing experience because now that I’m on my own, I’m finally able to really work on myself.

And that doesn’t mean that I’ve overcome my depression. Believe me, it’s still hard to deal with. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned in college, it’s to make myself comfortable during these tough times. There were a lot of things I’ve bottled up throughout the week, and even though I had an amazing day at work, and enjoyed having dinner with my parents on Saturday, I wanted to spend the rest of my night being sad. Why? Because I need to let it out at some point. It’s okay to be sad, it’s okay to cry. It’s dedicated time. It’s literally just self-care. I’ve been pushing myself all week, and I think it’s the healthiest thing I can do. It’s a natural detox for the body, that’s all there is to it.

Yes, I’m making myself sad on purpose, so what?

It’s a healthy alternative, I don’t see what the big deal is. I’m not drinking or self-medicating. Yes, it may seem better just to go and be happy with friends, but we also need alone time. I don’t understand why that’s such a hard concept to grasp. Yes, I spent that Saturday night looking at pictures of my old dog, and other things that I knew would make me cry.

Let me ask you something. Do you feel better after you’ve had a good cry? That’s literally why I do it. I really don’t understand why people think it’s weird to do that. I was watching this one episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, and when Ray was not at home, Debra would sit on the couch and cry. This was part of her regular routine. She was happy, there was nothing wrong. This was her dedicated time to let go of negative energy. She did this on a regular basis because it was the healthy thing to do, and that way she was on top of her game throughout the rest of the day.

If that’s not what you’re into, that’s fine. But what I ask you to do is not judge others who like to use this as a form of self-care.

That is all, have a wonderful day!