At this point, I learned a lot of powerful life lessons from depression. Although it may seem like a warm, dark, fuzzy blanket, it’s not something you should take too seriously.

I have suffered from depression for so long that I often let my guard down. I talk to my depression and sometimes consider him a sarcastic and weird friend. But I’ve learned that I should never trust these dark feelings of comfort.

Depression has teeth, and it slowly slides its jaws around your head and bites you.

Powerful lessons learned from depression

I’m sorry if I came across as dark. I’m not making a joke about this monster pretending to be our friend. I just remembered a coworker who once said:

“I love you more when you’re depressed than when you’re manic.”

You see, I have bipolar disorder, I tell this to people who don’t know me. I have both mania and depression. I suffer equally with them, and it’s never a healthy state.

But here’s the thing.

Here’s what my coworker meant by this statement. I simply realized that I was obedient and kind when I was depressed, in contrast to my selfish behavior during mania.

I learned a lot about these illnesses, especially depression. Here are the life lessons I learned from this quiet beast.

1. They won’t understand, and that’s okay
   I’ve learned to stop trying so hard to make others understand how this feels. Instead, I write about it…very little. People abroad have difficulty understanding the difference between sadness and depression, and for this reason, they are unable to help properly.

Yes, they can offer kind words and be friends. Honestly, these are good things to do. But in terms of truly understanding how depression works, they can’t seem to wrap their heads around the feeling.

So, instead of spending a lot of energy explaining what’s going on, I put that energy into helping myself. And sometimes it’s just a long nap.

2. You are not alone
   Having depression, or any type of mental disorder, can make you feel lonely. I’ve learned that sharing your diagnosis with others can create this feeling of loneliness.

You see, oftentimes when you share the fact that you have depression, it is stigmatized. You can see the judgment in the faces of the people you tell.

But I’ve also learned that if you feel the need to tell someone, it’s best to be prepared for whatever reaction you might get. If you are prepared, this reaction will not affect you as badly.

Not everyone will be nice and kind when you share things about yourself. Since many people do not understand depression, their expressions will reflect it.

3. Depression won’t go away on its own
   Living with depression means actively learning how to heal or cope. You can’t wait to think depression is just a phase because it’s not. Depression is a disease. It’s a real disease like diabetes or high cholesterol.

So, if you want to get better, you must actively try. And yes, I know exactly how difficult that can be.

First, I would say that sleep and rest are good ways to deal with depression. However, it is not healthy to do this all the time. Some days, you have to push yourself to do things. For example, going outside, especially when it’s sunny, and sitting on the balcony, can help a lot.

I’ve also learned that writing in a journal, talking to friends and loved ones, and being more active can also help. So, as terrible as depression is, it doesn’t go away on its own.

4. This illness makes you thankful
   You may not have come to this place yet, but I found it a few years ago. My depression has brought me to a place of gratitude.

Feeling this darkness helped me recognize the light around me. I learned to be grateful that something or someone you love can be here one day and gone the next.

Feeling depressed a lot of the time put me in touch with these feelings and caused a desperate shift. I wanted to appreciate people more, and I wanted to make sure they were okay. Especially since depression can be lurking within anyone.

5. Forgiveness is important
   Much of our depression comes from past traumas. We hold on to those negative events, and this cloud grows within us. This past trauma comes from being abused or neglected in childhood.

This trauma may also come from domestic violence later in life. Trauma can come from many different sources, and most of the time, it is related to another human being. We will not forgive them.

But I have learned that if you forgive people for their sins against you, light will penetrate the darkness. I’m sure you’ve heard all this before, right?

“Application for forgiveness is for me, not for them.”

It is important to forgive, because it removes our responsibility to hold others accountable for what they have done. He says pardon them

“I free you from this hatred.”

And what he’s really saying is,

“I freed myself.”

6. How to go through depressed days
   One of the facts about depression is that you will have challenging days. These will be the days when you really want to give up. There is no harm in talking about this to someone who understands.

These days will come, but the good news is that the good days will come too. I have learned how to successfully get through depressed days. Accept these days as they come.

7. Ideas are not as tangible as mine
   The terrible thoughts you’re having, yes, I’ve had them too. They are scams, but they have the potential to be dangerous. One of the most important ways to deal with dark thoughts is to remind yourself that negative voices are false.

If you can silence those voices, you can get through the worst of it. Positive mantras tend to help. Keep small positive statements on your notebooks near you. Carry your notebooks with you when you go out.

Wear small bracelets with positive affirmations. Be creative in getting to the other side.

The truth is: Depression sucks

I’m not here to downplay depression. It really and officially sucks rocks. Hey, I’m trying to keep it PG-13 here. Anyway, the point is, what is life if we can’t learn from it? Part of this learning is gathering knowledge about ourselves and our circumstances.

And in the process, this learning provides us with the help to accomplish this. Because let’s face it, everyone has their problems. Although there is a lot of judgment, there are also those who truly care.