Depression and Mental Illness: You Are Worth It

Depression is a thief. It does nothing, but take. It takes your time. It takes your spirit, making you less you. It takes fathers from their kids, wives from their husbands, friends from each other. It does nothing, but take. Worst of all, Depression steals your joy.

And I hate it.

I hate taking medication daily. I hate going to therapy. I hate coping strategies. I hate analyzing every thought. I hate having to convince my mind to convince my body to get out of bed. I hate getting lost in my own thoughts. I hate feeling like a burden. I hate forcing myself to be present. I hate enjoying the good days because I know that there's a bad day coming. I hate always having this feeling of dread.

I hate having to convince myself that I'm worth it.

When I was first diagnosed with clinical depression in 2014, I attacked it like you would a broken leg. I tried to fix it, so I could move on to other things. I wanted a cure and like most Americans, I wanted it yesterday. But that's not how this works. Depression doesn't just go away after so many therapy sessions. Medication, while extremely helpful, isn't a cure-all. My fix it quick approach was only making my depression worse. Depression, like other forms of mental and physical illness, is something that I will always have to deal with. It's taken me awhile, but I finally have accepted that.

This process hasn't been easy. But it's been worth it. And that's the challenge of dealing with mental illness, telling yourself that you are worth it. It's hard to reach out for help when you don't think you're worth it. You are.

I'm worth it. You're worth it. We are all worth it.

National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255