New to the group, suffered and recovered from Depression, wrote about it.

Hello, I have suffered. After what now seems like a perfect life growing up, I struggled from Depression for nearly 15 years after a series of traumatic incidents. I wish I had known about this forum earlier when I was in the darkest depths of Depression.

But Depression also brought out the best in me eventually. I am now a mother (seemed impossible at one time) to a delightful 6 year old, I volunteer and I have authored a book, on Depression no less. (https://www.amazon.com/When-Mind-Was-Enemy-Depression-ebook/dp/B0H4X2HSBM/)

It is hard to write about – but THAT is precisely why I would chose to do it.  I wrote to destigmatize it and to challenge many misconceptions. And in the end writing about it from a sufferers perspective was profoundly cathartic. 

Depression is a devious illness that takes so much out of you and can leave you with a profound sense of self-created isolation.

While medical treatment and therapy is certainly recommended, there is a lot that cannot even be put to words clinically —a person's constant sense of failure no matter how far they have come; the mental freeze of being fully aware of what needs to be done but being unable to act; the way illness can hollow out a person's sense of who they are, not just their mood.

And how healing isn't about denial or forced positivity, it's about learning to keep bringing yourself back to the present.

I wish all of you healing and a Depression free life. All the best