It's like a dark cloud that hangs overhead, blocking out the sun. Everything seems bleak, hopeless, and desolate. There is no end in sight. You move through life in a haze that prevents you from truly living. Things just seem so pointless. School becomes a drag. Work becomes too tedious to handle. What's the point of returning those texts and calls? Why make commitments when it's just easier to do nothing and let things take their course? Things are just going to go on the same as they always do because that's always how it worked in the past. Your depression may get worse and worse, but you can just hide it.
These feelings that drag you down into an abyss of sorrow are simply a burden that you can hide behind a mask, right? You can just wear a smile everywhere you go and show your friends and family that everything is okay, right?
If this sounds even remotely familiar to you, then no, this isn't okay. You're depressed, and staying silent about your pain and suffering doesn't help in any way. By keeping these feelings bottled up inside, you can't help but hurt yourself. No matter the reason, no matter the cause, there is no justification to keep depression to yourself.
By refusing to express how you really feel inside, nothing is going to improve, and nobody will be able to help you. You might think that you protect your friends by keeping your sadness a secret, but they know. They've noticed, and it hurts them that you can't bring yourself to tell them. People aren't going to judge you. People won't stop being your friend because you've reached out to them in your time of need. They'll understand.
This is an open letter to people suffering from depression or people who know someone who is. Get the help you need and deserve, because we're all willing to be there for you. Me, the roommate, your parents, your friends— it really doesn't matter. It's human nature to care for each other and to share what we have, even if what we have is something like depression. Other people will help ease your pain and help you on the path to recovery.
The worst feeling in the world is knowing that someone close to you has compromised their own well-being due to their feelings. It's hard to truly understand how something like depression could impact a person until they've self-harmed or worse, but it's something nobody could forget. And time and time again, these people have confessed to me that if only someone had been there for them, and if only they had reached out to find solace for their inner anguish, things wouldn't have been so bad. By getting the help and hearing the words they need, these people could break through the dark clouds and find the light again.
Trust me: The only thing that matters in the long run is your well-being. As long as you're healthy in body and mind, everything else is optional. Find someone to talk to, because that's what makes all the difference.
