Researcher: Teresa Wang
Designer: Kelly Liu
“Expression is the opposite of depression” - Dr. Edith Eger
A quote I struggled to grasp, but now understand.
For the people reading this, you may be wondering, “what does this quote mean?”, which brings me to my next point. Only those who have suffered from depression, truly understand what this means. Depression is far more than what the media makes it out to be, it’s not just a feeling, neither is it only a mood disorder, it’s an illness that plagues your life. It affects those around you, alongside yourself, it is not something that can be “cured” overnight, it is something that takes over your life. Taking back control of your life from the grip of depression can be a difficult thing to do, it takes courage, resilience and willingness to overcome depression. As someone who has gone through depression and experienced all the symptoms, I am writing this article to talk about my journey of progress. I believe that I have come so far from the state that I was in, I battled depression at a young age, it changed everything for me and those around me. The symptoms of depression can range from feeling sad and irritable, to having thoughts of suicidal ideation.
Everyone has their own coping mechanisms, and mine was to express myself. Expression comes in many forms, such as writing, drawing, journaling, and more. It was through these outlets that I began to understand myself better and give voice to the emotions that I had buried deep within myself. Depression silences you, it convinces you that your voice doesn’t matter. But through self expression, I slowly began to reclaim my voice.
One of the hardest parts of my journey was learning to accept myself, my flaws, my imperfections and weak points. You are so much more than the struggles you face, what speaks for your character is how you overcame them. You are allowed to feel pain and that is not a sign of weakness.
To anyone going through depression, know that you are not alone. Your feelings matter, and it is important to seek help, whether that's through therapy, talking to someone you trust, self expression or all of the above.
Depression doesn’t define you. Your journey, your resilience, and your ability to overcome it, that’s what defines you. Remember, every shadow eventually fades, and the light inside you will shine brighter than ever. Keep going. You are capable of silencing the shadows.
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