10 Things That I Felt/Thought as I Recovered from Depression:

1. I felt fragile, like I might relapse at any moment.
2. I had been taking my health and happiness for granted for way too long… life is to be appreciated.
3. Depression sucks more than I ever realized. I had my own misconceptions about depression, but they have been put firmly in their place.
4. Many things that I did as I healed felt strange/different. Certain things felt like it was the first time I’d ever done them. Grocery shopping felt daunting and new.
5. I spent a lot of time hoping that the depression would not come back. A fear that it would return lingered, but faded over time.
6. I used to think that this could never happen to me. It can happen to anyone. I felt passionately about this point as I was recovering.
7. I must use my experience to help others. I must share what happened and talk about it to those that were willing to listen. Of course, I still feel this way and hence I sit here typing away at night.
8. Wouldn’t it be terrible if a child had to go through this… which lead very quickly to point #9.
9. What is being done to help children that go through this?
10. I was relieved that my suicidal thoughts had stayed passive and that I had never taken my own life.