invisiblebee asked: I read your post about having someone reach out to you. I don't mean to be yet another thing for you to deal with, but I suffer from severe depression and anxiety, and I'm wondering... what did/do you have? I struggle with it every single day, and lately I've been in an even worse place thanks to being suddenly thrown into isolation (I don't have a family I can go to, and my one support - my boyfriend of two and a half years - is now gone). How did/do you deal with things? I feel entirely overwhelmed and I'm starting to frighten myself. I'm already on medication and have sought therapy, but it doesn't seem to do much; I'm looking for something that I could maybe do for myself.

What do I have

I have major depressive disorder, or your “garden variety” depression. I was diagnosed when I was 14 and have been dealing with it for the last eight years. I think I also dealt with social anxiety as well when I was younger and that has improved as well over time.

How do I deal with it

I’ve been going to counseling for the majority of the last four years and will probably continue to do so once I go to graduate school. Counseling has probably been the most effective way for me get better, learn boundaries with people, and overall feel able to express my emotions honestly and not feel ashamed for feeling them. I used antidepressants from ages 14 to 16, but stopped because I really hated how I felt on them.

I think for anyone it is really essential to find a good support system. For me, I was lucky my mom had depression and was really understanding. There is a lot of stigma and stereotypes about depression so it can be hard to find people who really understand or are willing to just listen and not give advice. I’ve had to learn a lot about boundaries with people and that it’s okay to not be in relationships with people who are insensitive to my disorder or who trigger unhealthy thoughts/behaviors for me.

Some things I’ve found that helped are volunteering and getting involved with something bigger than yourself. It helps with the feelings of isolation and helplessness. Definitely check out NAMI.org to see if there are resources/meetings in your area that you could go to and get more support from. I also journaled extensively when my depression was the worst just to get those feeling out of my mind which helped a lot too. Traveling also has always made me feel better, but I can’t always afford to go somewhere when I’m feeling depressed.

Let me know if I can expand on anything or if you have any other questions :)