Normally when I write a column such as this one for the Airdrie City View, things tend to come into my head rather quickly and I’m able to write a piece in no time at all.
However, this one has taken me quite a bit of time to put together, as it turns out it’s actually quite a lot harder to write out and make public to the world that I have been battling depression for the last decade.
Believe it or not, it took me about two weeks to write those first two paragraphs, which I admit sounds rather odd, but it was like there was this nagging feeling in the back of my head telling me not to make this public.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m thankfully not in a situation where I am locked up in my room and refusing to come out and face the world on a daily basis, but there are those occasions where I am feeling incredibly down for a few days and am right back up to a peppy mood soon after.
I can’t explain it, and in reality no one can really explain things when it comes to a mental illness and everything that comes along with it, but it is more or less a part of who I am now, and I have accepted all that comes with it.
So, why have I decided to finally make it publicly known that I deal with depression on a daily basis, instead of keeping it confined to myself and a very small inner circle of friends?
Well there are a couple of reasons.
One of which was just for my own personal health, as I was finding that keeping this locked up inside me was doing me more harm than good, especially over the last few months.
It’s like anything you have stored away inside of you.
If you keep it to yourself, it will end up hurting you in the long run, even if it’s about something that many people don’t want to talk about.
The second reason was Bell Let’s Talk, the annual day once a year (held on Jan. 28 this year) where money is raised towards mental health awareness, which is something that I support wholeheartedly.
However, the topic of mental health is something that should be talked about all of the time, instead of just one day a year when it’s topical because of a fundraising movement.
After this year’s event, I felt more confident about making my own situation known, as I truly believe it’s something worth doing so that other people who may have similar struggles know that they aren’t alone in their battles.
As you read this column, today’s my 26th birthday, so my day is probably going pretty well. But who is to say tomorrow, or next week will be?
Although it’s cliché to say, I truly feel that with this being published and my own battles being known to everyone, it is the first day of the rest of my life as I have cleared away all of the feelings I had bottled up in me.
Granted, I know that there are many people out there who are dealing with their own issues and are too afraid to let that be known.
Don’t be.
There are so many people out there, whether it’s your friends, family members, or co-workers that want to help.
I truly hope that anyone who is dealing with a mental health issue in their life is able to find their way out and get the help they need.
