Published originally on Her View From Home
Dear depressed friend, I’m not going anywhere.
Numb. Sad. Defeated. Hopeless.
When depression hits, it hits hard, trying to devour its latest victim.
Depression feels like you’re drowning, sinking deeper and deeper into the water with small particles of fractured light above you. The pain has no comparison.
It steals all the joy, purpose, and motivation out of your life like a powerful vacuum.
You can barely see and hear the muffled voices of those you love.
Everything seems so foggy inside of your head.
Your mind becomes a scary place you desperately want out of.
I get it, my depressed friend. Simply getting out of bed in the morning becomes an insurmountable task. Basic hygiene and self-care become a low priority.
You question who you are and what you’re doing. You’re not sure how to climb back up, out of this deep, dark place.
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It feels so lonely and far away from reality, even when you’re surrounded by others.
Your thoughts plague and consume you. And you don’t seem to care about anything anymore.
You have frequent breakdowns of uncontrollable sobbing, and then feel guilty about it.
You think that life isn’t worth living anymore. And you feel stuck in this cycle of a hopeless mindset.
Depressed Friend, Hang in There.
I’ve been there, my good friend. I know how powerful depression can be.
While I haven’t lived and walked in your shoes because our minds are truly unique, I know how debilitating depression feels as it tries to overtake your life.
I desperately wish I could fix this for you, but I can’t.
If I could motivate you to live, I would, but I can’t.
I’ll point you in the right direction, but I can’t do the work for you.
And in that sense, I feel scared and powerless.
I promise you this: I will do whatever I can to make sure you feel seen, loved, encouraged, and cherished.
You are here for a unique purpose. And you deserve the chance to discover what that purpose is.
I’m always going to be here for you, depressed friend.
I’m never irritated when you reach out for help. I’ll bring you another meal to offload the burden of making dinner. I will send you an encouraging note first thing in the morning.
I’ll be ready whenever you need a long conversation to get those difficult feelings off your chest. You can be vulnerable with me, exposing the painful parts you wish you could hide. I’m listening to you, not judging you.
I do understand. Because depression tried to overtake me too.
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You can beat this. You can endure the darkest days and look forward to the best things you don’t see coming.
Just like a storm, it won’t last. Light always encapsulates darkness.
I’m here living and breathing on the other side of depression, proving that it didn’t last.
I’m a survivor. And you are too, depressed friend.
It’s going to take time for the feelings of depression to lose their power, but it will happen.
Our brains are malleable. You can always retrain your brain on how to cope with depression. If you need help, reach out for professional help. It helped me more than I can put into words.
Hold fast. Cling to family and friends who will lift you up when you feel down. Never let them go.
Life is always worth living. Joy is always worth fighting for. Better days are ahead, I promise.
I’ll continue to check on you and reach out again and again, not taking “I’m fine” for an answer.
I will fight for you as much as I possibly can because I care about you and you are deserving of everything beautiful in this life.
I can’t fix it, but I’m always here for you.
