Dear depressed self,

I know it's rough now. It feels like a never-ending cycle of happiness to sadness and back, and your nightmares are repeating over and over again. You wake up feeling like everything's wrong with the world, gradually get better throughout the day, and fall back to the same state you felt before. You've heard the same things from all of your friends: "it'll be okay," "life gets better," "you deserve the best," "life moves on and so should you." And, you know they're right, but you just can't feel the same. You feel like you've exhausted all of your resources, and you feel that you're meant to deal with everything alone. You see yourself slowly deteriorating-- losing weight, losing passion, losing motivation and losing the will to move on. You'll wonder when the pain will end.

But here's the thing. You've been through this all before, and you've grown so much since then. You know that once it passes, things will only get better. And you know for a fact that you have the most supportive and loving friends who care about your well-being, even if they aren't physically there for you right now. You are strong, and you are loved. Know that despite everything that comes your way, you can get through anything. So many people believe in you and are rooting for you. Just remember to always put yourself first. You can't care for others if you yourself are not okay.

Make sure to invest some time in taking care of yourself. Exercise. Eat. Surround yourself with those who care. Focus on your studies. Do what you love, and don't let anything get you down.

You've made it this far. Don't stop now.

Sincerely,

Your hopeful self