Not having experienced something personally is a major factor that forces people to form assumptions.
Depression is one major example where most people choose to have their own take on things, not fully understanding the gravity of the subject or the seriousness of the issue.
We at Voiceshares want to handle this subject in a sensitive manner, with an aim to not only create an ongoing and healthy discussion around the topic, but to assist and reach out to all those who are silently suffering with depression and let them know that we care, and that their voice won’t go unheard.
Bringing one such personal story today, we want to highlight the fact that it takes much courage and effort to share such a life altering experience. We respect the right to privacy of the individual, yet we would love to see your words of encouragement and support for the narrator in the comments below.
Depression - A word that I find frightening and haunting..
I always question myself, ‘Why am I entitled to be depressed?’
Is it because I’ve been blessed with everything a normal human being could possibly ask for. A job that puts food on my table. A lovely home where I find myself enshrined in loving arms. I’m more fortunate than a majority of the people on this planet. So does it entitle me to feel depressed, or am I just disillusioned and need to snap out of self-pity mode and make my way towards the light.
Honestly, I don’t have answer to my own questions. But I’m aware that the golden cage I feel myself trapped in is getting smaller and smaller.
The pieces of the puzzle don’t fall together. Is this how life should be?
I don’t want to be here anymore. I find myself not liking my job, nor the people around me. I don’t like the house I inhabit, and most of all, I don’t like being me.
I seem to have forgotten how it feels to be happy, to be free or joyful. I sense darkness all around me. And it may appear that I have everything, but I can only see myself in a bottomless pit.
Can you tell me, how do I start my journey towards feeling something? I don´t know how to love myself or even how to be nice to myself. I never did.
I feel worthless! To such an extent that I feel that I don´t even deserve to be depressed.
The sense of losing yourself completely, it’s very easy. And now, I fail to remember when those sunny days disappeared and left me in this misty swamp.
All kind of creatures live here, lurking in the shadows.
Am I scared? No.
Actually, I feel numb.
My mind is heavy, and my body is aching in discomfort.
It appears that I don’t know the rules of this game of life. Do you? Do you know the rules of this mystifying game?
I took one wrong turn somewhere in the past, and now I’m stuck in some sort of parallel world. Observing the outside life, and not taking any part in it. It’s safe here in my swamp, I reeks of familiarity and I’m surprised that I don´t want to leave.
Yet the question remains. Is this what I had signed up for when I came here? Is this all there is to life?
I’m pushing my forties, all my life I had been there for pretty much everyone who needed my help.
Now… I’ve allowed myself to become selfish. I chose solitude because the noise of people around me was starting to become unbearable.
So I became a ‘weirdo’ who lives with two cats. But the matter of fact is… I don´t care! Because there´s not much left for me to care about. These two guys are the only reason to stay afloat nowadays.
It´ll get better, soon. I´m sure of it.
I remember an Irish Proverb ~ ˝Hope is the physician of each misery.˝
Join The Revolution with Voice of Steemit
We applaud the courage that the story owner has put up in telling his story to the world. The story owner may join the Discord Hangout scheduled on 15th August at 9:30 PST. Even otherwise we will be able to arrange for a separate session with our support team who will be able to help you.
STORY ID: DEPR02
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Submit your story of Depression using the link
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We from Voice of Steemit Team would like to thank @cloh76 and @intelliguy for delegating 300SP and 1000SP respectively. Your contribution goes a long way in helping us reach our goals. @intelliguy has also helped spread the word about Voice of Steemit Through his post
Delegation of my steempower to an anti-suicide anti-depression cause for a little while
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There are excellent web based therapy available,for those in need of someone to communicate with, but for some reason can't reach out to therapists in their community. I mentioned one such resource here: https://steemit.com/psychology/@protoken/talk-or-chat-with-a-licensed-professional-therapist-online
this is really cool, thank you for sharing the information.. will be very helpful to many on the project :)
I hope that resource may help some of your followers.
In one of services I am visiting there is a user talking to me about his depression. I have no idea how I can help him. So I just keep chatting about every day. I am tempted to find a solution for him but I don't think I can find one, I just need to accept I'm not the one to help. I'm there to not judge and just chat.
He has professional help, struggles that I cannot address. Is there anything more I could do?
You are trying your best, that makes u the best person who can help.... why dont u join our hangout today... there are people who have studied Psychology or themselves been survivors of depression.... You may put forth your situation in front of them... they may able to guide u with the way u shud move forward..
We have a voice discord hangout session planned in exactly 4 hours from now.. do join us.... we can join u in helping a friend.... https://discord.gg/zjrNnj8
Could I pass it on to him? I cannot take part in it, too many plans today.
absolutely, he may join in n later tell us more... we are ok with it.... as long he maintains his identity hidden :)
"Feeling unhappy for no reason, feeling lonely amongst friends and family, feeling empty in a world of plenty ... " he said it was just a phase he was going to get over it but I saw him sinking day by day. Sometimes people suffering from depression refuse help and I am yet to understand why.
They are scared of being judged by this cruel society, they are scared of being bullied...no matter how hard they try to put a brave face they cant do it.... it simply becomes very impossible for them after a certain point in time..... depression is not a face u see on the outer end... its the inner feeling which cant be explained
Like Always a hearth Touching story ... Thank you for sharing
Please join our discord channel we need people like you discord.me/adsactly
Thank you @adsactly for finding value in some real work we are trying to do and bring a positive change in society... we appreciate your work and your support for the project :)
Wish people followed this in life... but easier said than done...life is way too complicated for this :)
That's true. A lot of people get depressed when they fail to make everyone pleased.
Pleasing everyone is impossible to do my friend.... it is just impossible
Exactly, but a lot of people think it's possible. So, they try and fail and as a result get depressed.
Thank you for sharing this. I can relate very well to this. Upvoted and followed.
@kp138- Thanks a lot, do join our discord channel and if u have a story do write to us using links
UpVoted and follow . Please follow me back.
Depression is far, far more common than most of us think. Sharing stories such as this paves the way toward a place where mental illness such as this is no longer taboo.
@protoken - Exactly, sharing relieves most of our burden from heart, this way we can start our journet towards brighter future and out of our mental situation
hopefully .we find a cure for depression
Cure for depression is VOS(Voice of Steemit). VOS in Spanish is YOU
Many of us wish it were that simple.
I know ,the sad truth .....
This deserves some attention. Upvoted and resteemed :]
@taylor.swift- Thank you for find it valuable
Too many feel the same way, accepting to talk about is shows that you already are on a brighter path.
Hang-on my dear.
@vlemon - Thank you for such kind words to the story owner... means alot.. do join our discord channel to help project grow
Hot topic for future of steemit family. Thanku for sharing.
I m newbie here. Please upvote me.
Here is my introduction post. Have a look on it.
https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@raist/namaste-from-india-the-beautiful-city-chandigarh
Thanks for valuable post about depression..
Keep upvote me
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STOPThe bit about feeling as though you're in a parallel universe, watching the world but not participating in it, really struck a chord with me.
That's exactly how it feels. But you're too numb to care. Life just passes by and you don't even mind about it.
So sad.
Depression is a dark cloud...
That's something I wrote last night. I understand all too well what depression can do to someone.
I learned about this account last night when someone commented on my post. You're doing an amazing thing here!
I find this topic important, and that such posts may impact people in a positive way, so I linked to it from this post: https://steemit.com/life/@protoken/which-posts-do-you-think-can-impact-lives-and-should-reach-even-more-readers
Hopefully this will attract more readers to this post.
I am so glad I found this post. I am always really glad to see support for mental health and those who suffer as a result of it.
I have a lifetime of experience suffering with Bipolar / BPD/ Depression and Anxiety and all associated with it. But I also have a lifetime of experience living with mental health sufferers, Partners and family members. So this really does touch my heart deeply.
I use poetry to cope and having recently completed a year long psychotherapy treatment with the best pscychotherapist I have ever met, I now have a lot of tools and ways of thinking that I have already shared with other sufferers, and I am proud to say I have seen good results in myself and others from having this knowledge.
It is my intention to write some posts around this and share with more people.
If you would like to take a look at my poems related mainly to mental health, please follow me @laurabean
Here is my latest poem: https://steemit.com/life/@laurabean/soul-ache-poems-from-pain-by-laura-bean