And yet, it has this sneaky way of convincing us that we're entirely alone in the struggle.
Depression tells us:
You're alone.
No one likes you.
No one will ever understand this.
It will never get better.
You will never be okay.
You're okay. Stop pretending. Stop complaining. No one wants to hear it. You're taking too long to get over this. Again. You were fine. Weren't you?
You have no reason to be sad. You have all the reasons to be sad. You don't deserve to be happy.
If you tell someone, they'll leave you.
It goes on and on...and it's all lies.
That's why I love these comics so much:they shed light on the darkness we experience. They spread awareness about the struggle. They make us feel less alone...and that's a truly beautiful thing. After all, when more people understand the internal battles we face, it helps us open up and be more real with others; it helps us cope.
SHARE these comics to help spread awareness about depression today.
If you are struggling with depression, PLEASE reach out. Help is all around.
1. Depression doesn't look like sadness.
It hides beneath big smiles.
2. Depression makes it hard to reach out for fear of this:
We understand it's hard to understand, but we really need you to try...and we have to try too. Admitting we're not okay and reaching out is the most important step to coping and recovering.
3. Depression doesn't look like disinterest.
It hides behind fake laughs.
4. Depression doesn't mean we aren't trying to have happy lives.
We're trying the hardest we possibly can. Some days, this is easier than others.
5. Depression pulls us into darkness when it wants to.
Even though we can practice self-care and get through it, we still can't plan around it. It just doesn't work that way.
6. Depression makes self-care difficult...
...and oh so important at the same time. It's helpful to think of things in "basic baby steps."
7. Depression makes us question ourselves...
...and scrambles our thoughts.
8. Depression argues with us...
...a lot.
9. Depression doesn't care what we have to do today.
It doesn't even care that the sun is out.
10. Depression makes us hide away a lot, but deep down we do want to talk about it.
We just don't always know how.
11. Depression can suck the fun out of the simplest of things.
It can make everything seem utterly pointless.
12. Depression makes us feel like a major burden.
So we need to know you're there for us no matter what.
13. Depression tells us we don't have depression.
This makes getting help hard, but it's something we need to do to get better.
14. Depression can turn any task into the perfect opportunity to tear ourselves down.
The important thing to remember is this: you made that pasta. You conquered that. You're awesome.
15. Depression sucks, but you don't. You are strong. You are brave. You are capable.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, please reach out. If you don't have a safe space to turn to right now, you can find wonderfully supportive and well-trained professionals through a simple text. Check it out here.
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