Dear Depression,

You haunt so many innocent souls, and you strip them of any happiness that they could possibly possess. The thought of your presence sends chills tingling down my spine. Why do you do these awful things to people? You take away who they are inside and leave their loved ones with a lifeless, sad body. They no longer want to do the fun activities that they used to enjoy because you steal the want and willingness to do things from them. You have no idea how you affect a person as a whole.

As a person who is a recovering victim of depression, I have to see and feel the scars that you left behind. It’s not fair to me, to my family or to anyone who has to endure the feelings that you make present. I have no respect for the work that you do because it is disintegrating and detrimental. The fact is, I’ve spent countless hours sobbing at 3 a.m., begging and pleading for you to neglect me altogether. No one should feel like this at any time in their lives.

For the longest time, no doctor nor medicine could cure my pain. Nothing could make you eschew my mind; then, I witnessed what you make others do to themselves. You take so many beautiful lives, and I never realized that until you took my best friend. I will never be able to recollect the sound of him smothering at the hands of depression over the phone. I could have called for help, but it was already too late. You took him from me on unjust terms.

That same night, as I lay there mourning the loss of my friend, I decided that I was not going to let you smother my spirit. I was going to live for myself, and I chose to be happy. I was going to make a difference with the life that I was given, and I was not going to let you interfere with that. It was the best decision I have ever made because I am so much farther now than where I would be if I had continued to let you drive my life.

Now, I strive to support others and defend them from the nasty sickness you spread, and my goals are to encourage people to live for themselves. If society chooses to live in your shadows, then you will ultimately consume them. It is when we choose to break out of that dark area that you can no longer control our lives, and that is what matters. Being strong might not be enough, but having courage for others is one of the most rewarding things that anyone can do. It teaches people that others can care, and that there is someone out there that wants to support us no matter what is going on in life at that particular moment.

Sincerely,

Kristin