Semicolon ;
Happy Saturday!
I don’t usually post on the weekend but I couldn’t help share my exciting news! Last night I got a semicolon tattoo. For some a semicolon is just a punctuation mark, but for me it’s much more than that. A semicolon represents a sentence the author could’ve ended, but chose not to. The author is me and the sentence is my life.
I thought I had my life figured out until I hit my "quarter life crises." I started to question who I was, what my purpose in life was, and what was really important? I was lost and couldn’t find my way out of the deep dark hole of depression I was stuck in. My heart was heavy and I felt completely empty inside. Depression is living in a body that fights to survive with a mind that tries to die.
Battling depression has been a very difficult road for me. Quitting my job, going to therapy, and starting medication all within the same month was scary. All these changes were happening in my life and I was in over my head. It wasn’t easy admitting that I had a problem, but after I came to the realization it made coping with depression easier.
It's been 5 months since I was diagnosed with depression and although it has been a never-ending struggle, it changed my life for the better. I have taken steps in the right direction to better my mental and physical health. I will never be the person I was before experiencing depression, but I am on my way to a better version of myself. My outlook on life has changed dramatically and I appreciate everyday that I'm alive.
Mental health is such an important issue that deserves a great deal of attention. Society is quick to judge those with depression based on stigmas. People need to realize not all pain is physical and not all wounds are visible. 1 in 5 people suffer from a form of mental illness. Be kind, everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.
If you find yourself fighting your own battle with mental illness just know you are not alone. For the longest time I felt like I was the only one experiencing the pain of depression. When I began to speak about my struggles I had people reach out to me saying they were going through the same issues. It was comforting to know I was not alone. Talk about your journey, don't be ashamed of it; embrace it. You never know who you are helping by speaking about your struggles. You have to fight through the bad days to experience the best days of your life.
I believe that everything happens for a reason and depression is meant to be apart of my journey. Everyday when I look down at this tattoo I will be reminded to keep going and not give up on my life. God gave me this life because he knows I am strong enough to live it. I've made it this far and have overcome so many obstacles on my road to true happiness. I chose to keep going when I felt my life wasn't worth living.
I am alive, I am strong, I am surviving.
“Strength grows in the moments when you think you can’t go on but you keep going anyway.”
love, Jess