THREAD: Today is #MentalHealthActionDay so figured I'd say some things. By most objective measures I am a high performer. I've co-founded a successful organization. I have a kickass marriage. We have two cats and a dog -- an adorable little family. (1/?)
I've also struggled with depression for as long as I can remember. When I was young I didn't know it had a name. I just knew how it felt: disconnected, emotionless, out of control. I vacillated b/t being the life of the party and being a hermit. It's still a daily struggle (2/?)
Some days I can push through to find moments of joy. Other days getting out of bed is an accomplishment. I am not sad. I don't need to be cheered up. I feel numb. Colors aren't as bright. I have less energy. Depression, for me, is defined by the "absence of". (3/?)
I've taken meds and seen therapists. All of it helps in varying degrees, but none of it changes the underlying condition. It's not something, at least for me, that goes away. It's something to be managed every single day. (4/?)
This isn't to say that I am not lucky. I am. I have an awesome life. It is to say that even for folks who seem like they have their shit together that things aren't always what they seem. (5/?)
Mental health stigma is generational. Parents pass it down to their children and so on. That is why these conversations are so important, and why we need to start talking more openly. We are trying to break generations of behavior and that is hard! (6/?)
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