Many people think of depression as a teenage exaggeration or an excuse to relax on the couch and be lazy.
Far from it, guys.
As a disclaimer, my goal in writing this is not to present a premise to those who doubt the existence of mental illness, because it would be an unfair argument. No one who has ever gone through life without experiencing the numerous effects of depression could possibly understand. Instead, my goal is to reach out to those who do su\0x80ffer from the medical disorder.
I know I am no doctor--I don't know many medical terms, I'm no therapist to visit regularly, and I cannot prescribe any medication--but what I can do is o\0x80ffer a chance to relate.
Through experience, I understand that depression sneaks up on its victims like a slithering snake--slowly and dangerously, while you aren't even aware.
It is a deep, merciless abyss that slowly forms below your feet before you fall into it.
Over time, allowing constant doubt, worries and growing regret to invade and remain in the mind becomes an unbreakable habit that causes an inevitable wear and tear on the thought process. But the world keeps spinning: work still has to be done to graduate or earn a paycheck.
Eventually, you turn into a different person. Your family and friends start to notice a change in you. Nothing make you happy. In fact, things you used to enjoy annoy you, and all you want to do is sleep.
While friends slowly drift away and the inability to balance everyday tasks worsens, the veil that clouds your brain becomes heavier, and any interest you may have had before has completely vanished. But the world keeps spinning.
You watch the life being sucked out of you before your very eyes as you are unable to control your emotions and maintain a steady mood. You are left trapped in an energy-depleted body that becomes alien to you while making every attempt to scream out "\0x1DThis is not me!"
\0x1DThoughts race in your mind as you constantly worry about every single thing that speeds around that dangerous racetrack.
Luckily, the world keeps spinning.
If the world didn't keep spinning, it wouldn't be there to nudge you like a horse nudging its foal. It wouldn't be there to display its undeniable beauty that sparks hope in even the darkest moments and open your eyes to the vast possibilities that lay before you. It wouldn't be there to breathe fresh air into your lungs, clear your mind and revitalize your heavy soul. But most importantly, it wouldn't be there to connect you with the people that you need most in such a difficult time.
If there's one thing I've learned through depression, it's that communication is the key to a healthy conscience; false communication worsens the condition.
\0x1DThe best way to combat depression is to build a support system. Using resources of the earth such as water, air and food are important, but more important is tapping into the resource of family and friends, genuinely loving them for who they are and sharing the beauty of the world with them.
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