THE TRUTH OF DEPRESSION

Here's the thing.

I don't want to be someone you follow who shares nothing but the happy parts of their lives. I don't want to be just another lifestyle blogger from Utah, or another set of pretty pictures displayed in a square grid of happiness. I want to be there for you, I want to be your real friend--not just another "screen buddy." I want you to know that I understand the depression thing, wholly and fully. I want you to know that I know what it feels like to shake with sobs as the gaping hole in your chest widens into an abyss of black. I know what it feels like to be bullied, misunderstood, deemed an outcast at school. I know what it feels like to be abused, hurt every day by someone who is supposed to be one of your greatest supporters and role models. I know the pains of loss like the back of my hand--friends, family, people I knew for ages and loved with all my heart. I know the sting of rejection, the despair of divorce, the fear of the unknown, the torture of truly believing you will never amount to anything in life. I know all of this and so much more. 

The truth of depression is that it's harrrdd. An equal truth, however, is that during your most lonely moments, you are never really alone. We all have unique trials that we face, and if you're fighting something I've never had to understand, God still knows. I'm obsessed with this beautiful quote by Mallory Stevens: "The miracle of the Atonement is this: the Savior not only knows what it's like to have depression; he knows what it's like to have your exact depression. He literally experienced it as if it was his own. He felt your infertility as if it was his own, your struggling business as if it was his own, your heartbreak at being single as if it was his own. Not only that, He knows what it's like to have a  spouse with depression, or a spouse struggling with an addiction, or a parent who passed away. He knows not only how our own trials weigh on us, but also how we crumble under the weight of our loved ones burdens - desperate to administer relief but feeling, largely, helpless. He knows what it's like to miss the very person you are currently missing, not just what it's like to miss someone in general. He knows what it's like to lose the very person you have lost. He knows the weight of losing a child, but not just any child, he knows the insurmountable heaviness of losing your exact, sweet, perfect baby. He knows what it feels like to miss their very laugh, their very smell, their very warmth. He didn't experience our sorrows in general terms, he experienced them exactly. Your exact heartbreak is intimately familiar to Him - He, too, shook as he bore it. He remembers the pain of it as if it was His own. And that is why He can succor us."

I know that through utilizing the everlasting power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, you can be healed. Whenever I'm asked how I got through my crazy experiences and rebuilt a beautiful life, I never hesitate in my answer... "All that I am, I owe to my mom and Jesus Christ." He saved me, and I'm forever grateful I didn't turn my back on His love. (Don't you dare turn your back, either.) Other powerful forces against depression are service, self-care, natural remedies and supplements, and even medical treatment. Part of my self-care routine includes: keeping a gratitude journal, eating healthy, painting, enjoying nature, and listening to good music. Part of my service is taking care of neighbors, cooking or baking for others, and reaching out to those who are going through a difficult time through social media. I take vitamins and supplements every day that I remember to, and it makes such a difference! If I don't have a balanced diet and schedule, it's much harder to fight the stresses of life and they go from manageable to overwhelming. 

We live in a world where it seems that happiness is glorified and sadness is kept from view. Do not believe the voices that tell you nobody cares or that you are less of a person because of your hardships. I care. I care so much that I'm dedicating an entire blog to this kind of thing. I care about your well-being and healing, despite the trails you face, because I have been through hell and back and I'm here to tell you that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Know this: when you are struggling, I am here for you! Please, let me be there for you. I will try my best to keep up on all my messages.

"We must remember that we did not come to this earth to gain our worth--we brought it with us." // A.G.K.

xoxo
Brittany