Yes, it really does. Until I was 43 years old, I suffered from severe major depressive disorder, including several hospitalizations for attempted $uicide. Three years ago, we finally found the right combination of meds to really help.
My depression lifted, and my entire world changed. I couldn't have imagined this life - joyful, beautiful, engaging, etc. I had no point of reference to tell me it could be like this. The best I could imagine was that life would just be less miserable. There was no way for me to see just how wrong I was, and how much More life had to offer.
When the depression controlled my life, I couldn't comprehend a different way to feel. Now, understanding life without having to fight those demons every day, I feel more free than I ever have before. But if this was the only way I had ever felt, there's no way I could understand genuine depression. It's not apple vs oranges, it's apples vs giraffes.
Your feelings are valid. YOU are valid. The fact that you ARE means that you are important and worthy of love. You don't have to earn that - it's a fact of your existence.
It gets better. Don't give up. Unlike Sisyphus, you can reach the summit despite the burden of your trials. You just have to not give up. So far, you have survived 100% of your worst days. You can do this.
My depression lifted, and my entire world changed. I couldn't have imagined this life - joyful, beautiful, engaging, etc. I had no point of reference to tell me it could be like this. The best I could imagine was that life would just be less miserable. There was no way for me to see just how wrong I was, and how much More life had to offer.
When the depression controlled my life, I couldn't comprehend a different way to feel. Now, understanding life without having to fight those demons every day, I feel more free than I ever have before. But if this was the only way I had ever felt, there's no way I could understand genuine depression. It's not apple vs oranges, it's apples vs giraffes.
Your feelings are valid. YOU are valid. The fact that you ARE means that you are important and worthy of love. You don't have to earn that - it's a fact of your existence.
It gets better. Don't give up. Unlike Sisyphus, you can reach the summit despite the burden of your trials. You just have to not give up. So far, you have survived 100% of your worst days. You can do this.