I started struggling with depression and anxiety when I was in the sixth grade. It has caused a huge impact on my life. From being suicidal to passing out from stress, my body has physically shown the battle. I'm now entering my senior year in college, and I still struggle. But I'm getting better, and that has allowed me to have so much hope. It's necessary to celebrate the small victories in each day. They may seem childish, silly, or even just dumb, but I promise you they aren't. It's a struggle and just because it sounds simple doesn't mean it is to achieve. My biggest goal in life is to be happy. I still sometimes struggle with accepting this is my goal, because it almost seems too simple. But with anxiety and depression, it is a lifetime achievement for me. Plus, so much stems then from achieving that goal, like sharing love, showing compassion, and working hard. I finally have this goal, and I finally believe it's achievable. I still have struggles with depression and anxiety, but I can see that I'm so much healthier than what I once was.
I'm not writing this to sound like an expert on depression and anxiety, or to tell you what you should do to get better. I chose to write this in the hopes that it would offer support to someone out there. This blog will include kind words, compassion, and hopeful thoughts. Whether you face depression, anxiety, bullying, or anything else that may make you feel less about yourself, know that there is hope and compassion waiting for you. In reading this I hope you realize that there is someone, even a complete stranger, that wishes and hopes for the best for you.
The title of this blog is Deserve to See the Brighter Side, and this is reflected in the URL as well. From years of walking with my head held low and looking at my feet, I finally found the courage to hold my head up. It's another case of seeming simple but being a difficult task. I ask that you physically hold your head up today, because you deserve to see the world around you. You deserve to see the brighter side.
