I personally don’t understand what’s up with the craze of romanticizing and sugar-coating depression and other mental illnesses. No, they’re not fun. They don’t magically go away when you fall in love with someone. They don’t make you seem cute and fun. Stop pretending that they’re all good.
Depression is a numb feeling sometimes. In this mental state, you’re either extremely sad or just emotionless and numb. You either only feel exhaustion or can’t feel a thing. You can’t tell me that you have it and that it caused you to fall in love with someone. No one can look me in the eye and say that it’s a trend, that it’s cool.
Being mentally exhausted and sad is not cool.
Wondering why you aren’t good enough isn’t fun. Speculating whether or not your family even loves you because of your mental state isn’t a cool activity. Hating yourself and everything that you are isn’t romantic.
If you were diagnosed with depression or another mental illness (or genuinely think you do have it) and you feel the same way, then speak up about it. Stop letting people constantly romanticize an illness that kills. No, depression isn’t an illness that slowly kills you physically like cancer, but it does kill your past, happy self. You’re no longer the ecstatic person you were when you were eleven, or the kid that loved to be outside when you were twelve. Those are gone and you’re stuck with the depression that has caused you to be empty, numb, sad, and exhausted. Depression is real.
Hurting yourself as a way to numb the pain isn’t an aesthetic. Thinking that you’re not enough for your family or friends is not trendy. I don’t understand why people would ever think that depression is just a mental illness and something that can be conveyed through social media only, or something that’s just a month long and goes away when you meet someone.
Sure, when you meet someone, your depression isn’t as bad but it’s gonna still be there. A person can’t change that. You have to work towards fixing this issue by yourself, not with the help of someone that you’re in love with. It may seem like they’ve cured your depression but it’s going to come crashing down on you. Maybe people’s depression has gone away because of someone, but in reality there is still something about it that’s left in you. You belittle yourself even when you’re reassured that you’re not as bad as you make yourself look, or noticing the flaws on your body or personality that you seem to hate. Maybe that familiar numb feeling comes back at a weird time.
Take care of yourself. Sleep, wake up earlier than normal, eat vegetables, go outside. Do something small to make yourself smile. Play a game with your family or friends, go out to the mall with your best friend. Go to a concert and listen to your favorite music. Play a song that you never grow tired of and just listen to it as much as you want. Do things for yourself. Anything that can make you smile is worth it.
