Depression: It's Not the End of Your Story, Better Days Will Come

23 Sep 2020

7 Min Read

Towfiq Jamil (Guest Contributor)

IN THIS ARTICLE

There’s one common thing in life that we all go through, and it’s feelings of sadness. It’s normal to feel sad when we’re faced with difficult moments in life. However, some of us struggle with more than that — depression. Depression is a disorder that affects your way of living. You’re constantly sad, lost, and you have no motivation to do anything, not even to get out of your bed. Not only does it affect your mood, but your health too.

Depression can lead to drug addiction, alcohol addiction, and sometimes even suicide if you don’t seek help or psychological and pharmacological treatment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 264 million people of all ages suffer from depression, so if you feel depressed, know that you’re not alone. In the end, it all boils down to whether you’re willing to give life a chance and live it to the fullest or give up.

What Does Depression Feel Like?

A person feeling depressed in front of the window of the room

One moment you could be happy and then suddenly it hits you. You feel like the whole world has come crashing down on you.

Trust me, I’ve been there.

That feeling when you think you’ve nothing to hold on to, the moment when nothing makes sense anymore, your life seems meaningless and you feel like you have no more purpose in life. You feel like you’re unable to tell or share your emotions with anyone, not even your family, with friends, nor with your loved ones.

I’ve felt it all. In fact, I was severely depressed for almost a year. I stopped going out with my friends and doing fun things. I couldn’t concentrate on anything. I was sad, frustrated, indecisive, and overwhelmed. I lost every bit of energy to carry on. I felt like I had no purpose to live anymore. I couldn’t keep myself together. I struggled to get back up, or even have a simple conversation with people around me. Did I have suicidal thoughts? Yes, I did. Did I try to kill myself? As gloomy as it sounds, unfortunately, yes I did.

The Realisation

A man looking at the sky with open hands

But you know what? I couldn’t do it — because I realised life is too beautiful to end it like that. At that moment all I could think about was my parents. I couldn’t do that to them, I couldn’t put them through that painful journey knowing that I mean the world to them, that I'm everything they have. And knowing how much they love and expect from me. I wanted to try one more time with the very little energy I had.

I didn’t want to give up on life or my dreams. I started to believe that God gives the hardest battle to his strongest soldiers. It only takes one bold decision to change your life.

And one night, I did it. I stopped being negative, and decided to give life another chance. Did my depression go away that night? No, it didn’t — it was still there. But the more positive I became, the more I started to believe in myself, and the more I started to take baby steps towards my dreams, the further my depression faded away.

Yes, a miracle happened — my life slowly changed. All the dark clouds went away and the sun rose again. And that’s when I learned that depression will always be part of your life, but the trick is to never stop believing in yourself. When life punches you, you’ve got to stand up and show life that you’re strong enough to face it and you punch it back twice as hard.

Things Will Get Better

I strongly believe that when God puts you through hardship, He’s merely testing you. But when you show strength and fight back, you’ll be rewarded with an amazing life. If you’re going through depression right now, I promise you, things will get better. You’ll be happier than you were, you’ll laugh until your stomach hurts, and you’ll have everything you ever wanted. You always have a reason to fight, and you’re stronger than you think you are.

You are blessed, you are loved, you have what it takes to be what you want to be. I promise you that everything will be okay.

So go forth and paint your dreams with colours, dreams so big that people call you crazy. Go out and do whatever makes you happy, smile for no reason, and most importantly be positive. Try listening to happy music, go on unplanned trips, go food hunting, log onto YouTube and search for inspiring stories, read an inspiring book, talk to people and hear their stories, do voluntary work because you’ll definitely find inspiration there. Seek professional help if you need to because sometimes someone might just show you the way out even if you didn’t think it was possible.

You Will Be Okay

Take a break, take a deep breath, and slowly start being positive. Baby steps first. It’s not going to change overnight. But trust me things will change.

A positive mindset works like a miracle. If I didn’t dare to be positive when I was dealing with depression, then I wouldn’t be able to achieve what I’ve achieved so far.

My life isn’t perfect but I’m better than I ever was. I’m proud of how far I have come. Trust me, you can do way better. You are okay and you will be okay.

Be strong, be kind, be brave, and be grateful. Just like how depression hit you suddenly out of nowhere, you’ll wake up happy one morning and all the missing pieces of your life will come back together again. So cheers to life, to being your own hero, to all your crazy dreams, and to happiness.

You’re In Charge

Remember, you’re in control of your life. It doesn’t control you. You have to be your own hero to win this game of life.

It’ll never be easy but believe in yourself and you can definitely do it.

I wanted to take my life because of depression but I wouldn’t have had this amazing life today if I ended my life that very day. I’ve supportive parents who love and always encourage me to do better.

I’ve amazing friends who are always there for me. I joined Taylor’s University and it played a huge role in my life too.

Conclusion

I’ve been part of the Taylor’s Student Council, Taylor’s International Student Council, and different clubs and societies which helped me to become more confident and helped me to believe in myself more.

I’ve finally found my purpose in life and I’m doing the best I can to have a meaningful life. None of it would be possible if i didn’t decide to change my life that day. If I’d taken my life that night, then it wouldn’t just affect me, I’d put my family and friends through pain. The pain doesn’t end when you end your life, it’ll move to the closed ones around you. Remember, it’s never just about one life and suicide is certainly never the solution. Life is pretty beautiful, so go and enjoy life like there’s no tomorrow.

PS: Should you feel alone or need someone to talk to, you can always reach out for help to mental health professionals, Taylor’s Centre For Counseling Services or organisations such as Befrienders.

Towfiq Jamil pursues a Bachelor Degree in Software Engineering at Taylor’s University. He's the President of Taylor’s International Student Society and Secretary of Taylor’s Sports Ambassadors. For the past one and half years he's been working with Inclusive Outdoor Classroom, an NGO that works for children with special needs.

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