D.A.L
Depression, Anxiety and Loneliness is a thing we struggle with and can relate on a personal level. Depression is something that shows itself differently for everyone. There is no one person, or one story, or one experience that can make someone universally understand truly how depression alters the lives of those of us who suffer from it. I can’t make anyone understand how it is for everyone but I can give you a space to share how it altered your life. This community is a shell to be a part of a family that shares our pain, grief and struggles.
WORK
In 2022 we are proud to announce that we helped 1,234 members get out of depression and anxiety, a small number yes and that is why we are hoping and looking forward to a X10 result by the end of the year come 31 December 2023.
About
1) A community that shows you that you matter and that you are not alone
2) Monthly live therapy sessions
3)Personalized weekly emails
4)24/7 support team
LIFE STORIES
I went through maybe two full decades of my life in total denial of my depression. I think some people who were close to me could see it clearly, but I refused to identify as a person who was prone to depression. I didn't see myself as having problems as severe as other people, and didn't want others to think less of me. I never got help, even at the times when I actually did want it, because I didn't have a lot of money or insurance for long stretches of time. But that all caught up with me, and led to a period of clinical depression that got so bad that the only feelings strong enough to be felt through overwhelming numbness and apathy were anger, fear, and self-loathing. This had major consequences in my work life and led to me completely alienate someone with whom I was once very close. I had to reach this low to get real help beyond talk therapy, and to be prescribed an anti-depressant. It made all the difference, and I truly feel more like myself now. I am grateful that this positive change happened, but I think a lot about what my life would be like today if I had done this 10 years ago, 15 years ago, or 20 years ago. I urge other people, especially young people, to overcome their pride and do what they can to stop or at least manage destructive mental illness. It's a very hard thing to admit to having problems, but it's the only way you can hope to solve them.—Anonymous
Once I started to wrestle with depression myself, my empathy increased dramatically. It is such a difficult thing to understand if you haven't experienced it. But I always encourage friends to seek therapy/counseling and most of all not to try to carry the burden by themselves. If you're struggling today, what you are going through is very real and if anyone gives you the impression you should simply "snap out of it" then you need to avoid that person's advice. It's not that simple. There is help and hope.—Anonymous
I've been fighting depression and anxiety for years. And it is a fight. Every day I battle my own brain. Some days I feel like I am winning, but many days it feels like a fight I will inevitably lose. Especially when I see others lose their own battles. When someone takes their life, it's tragic for their own sake and for the sake of their families, but on a personal level it is terrifying. Because if someone like that — someone talented, successful, beloved, seemingly with everything to live for, someone who has battled in the past and apparently won — if someone like that loses their fight, then what hope do I have? I try to remember that I do have hope. I hope that I can win this battle. I hope that I will have many more good days than bad days. I hope that everyone struggling knows they're not alone. I hope that in their darkest hours, people can fight their way through. I hope for understanding. I hope for compassion. I hope for happiness. I hope.—Anonymous
Depression comes in waves. Some days it feels as though you're in a drought and some days you're drowning, swallowing water until your thoughts are soaked and decaying from the salt. On these days not much can help you. You may have dozens of people waiting on the sand bar but when it hits it is only you treading and looking for air. On these days it is important to go easy on yourself, to allow yourself to feel your feelings, free of judgment. However, it is equally important to fight back. You must pay attention to your surroundings. You must find what makes the tides subside. You must understand that you don't have to do this alone — that like waves in the water, you can't control what hits you. But you can control how you prepare yourself for them. You can decide what safety devices you'll use against it. Find a lighthouse to keep in your mind's eye in the distance. Don't be afraid to ask for help and swim on.—Anonymous
A letter to you
Hey you,
First, I want you to know how much everyone in your life loves you.I know you feel like the entire universe rests on your shoulder. And you don't know how to balance it. You don't know if and when it is going eventually crush you.I know it feels like nothing you do ends up well. And that despite all your efforts, it feels like you aren't appreciated. And at this point, everything seems bleak. You don't even know if you can get through another day.I also know that no one knows exactly how you feel. There are no words to express the things going through your mind the ache in your heart. Other people (including me) can't even know how you feel because you don't know yourself. You've tried many things to rid yourself of the emptiness - drugs, sex, sports, adrenaline rush - but all they do is just temporarily fill the void which seem to get bigger by the moment.So I am not going to tell you how to feel better or to keep your head up because I know none of that matters. What I will do is to tell you how I feel.I feel like you're a shining star in my life. You may be in the darkest imaginable place but I want, I NEED you to know that you are the light at the end of tunnel for me. I call you my Abacus because I know I can always count on you. I can always be vulnerable and my silly self around you. We can have a conversation about movies and switch the next minute to talking about politics in the 1800s without skipping a beat. Point is you're very amazing!I feel like you're one of the bravest people I know. One of the strongest too. The fact that you have all these undefinable things going on in your head yet you still manage to leave your bed and face the world every day. You wear a smiley mask every morning and swim against life currents and the occasional tree trunks that add insult to injury. I feel like you think you're a burden to people around you. So you don't complain or vent and just hold in it. But I need you to know that I am here for a reason. When I tell you that I am always here for you, it's not just to be nice, I really mean it.I want you to know that I will always be here for you no matter what. My phone lines are always available for you even at 2 o'clock in the morning. My door is also always open to you. I don't claim to know the right things to say but I'll always find a way to cheer you up. I could sing to you in my horrible voice (Dad once said I sounded like a frog), or dance zanku for you... I'll listen to you vent or rant about anything, offer my shoulder and hug you tight.You're an amazing person and even if you can't see that now, I'm sure you will soon. You deserve to know how important you are to the people around you.I don't want you to think you're irreplaceable, you're not.I don't want your failures to define who you are...I don't want you to ever wonder if you should be in the world.And if you ever think you have no reason to be alive, think of me. I need you here. I always have, and I always will.Signed,A concerned friend.
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