Some believe that physical illnesses are tangible in nature because professionals can see through someone’s misery. Well, physical scars are indeed visible and if we just simply asked for assistance whenever and wherever we needed it, someone would unhesitantly offer to treat them.
Hence, when someone was in mental anguish, invisible battles were not even noticeable, and the most challenging part was not noticing someone’s weight behind their optimistic and confident masks.
That’s why being compassionate in all ways is important, considering that we don’t even know whether the stranger who walked past us was fine or if they were carrying baggage within them.
You can have anxiety but still sound confident
As they say, nobody knew us better than we knew ourselves. And it’s perfectly fine if we feel a little lost at the peak of accomplishing something. Amidst all the uncertainties along the way— we fought hard and made it this far. Hence, no one knew more than ourselves about the numerous battles we’d waged to get to where we are.
We can be vocal about our ambitions, accomplish so much, climb all the way to the top, and sound confident in all of these whilst experiencing anxieties in the process.
And if there comes a time in life when we feel that no one recognizes the sacrifices that lie behind our triumphs, always come back to the idea that no one knew us better than ourselves. Nonetheless, no one – not even ourselves – is allowed to invalidate the invisibility of our battles and how we’ve managed to fight them.
Don’t be hesitant to celebrate even the smallest wins in life because even the baby steps are still progressing. It’s alright to weep when you reflect on the times when you questioned your capabilities and now you’re here— celebrating what you deserve.
Share your accomplishments with the world if that’s one way to validate what you’ve gone through.
You can have depression but still smile and make jokes
We’ve all known at least one person who laughs a lot over little things and often characterized them as overacting because they get overjoyed with almost everything. But we never really considered looking at it through a different lens and not knowing that moment may have been their happiest after enduring so much hardship due to depression.
Every time someone decides to permanently end their pain, we often hear things like “she/he used to laugh frequently” and “we never expected it since she/he looked optimistic all the time.” And it’s really hard to witness someone’s misery yet we can’t do anything for them, but nothing is more painful than not knowing about it behind their smiling faces.
We can’t really tell whether someone is really happy or if they’re simply pretending to be happy so that no one notices their silent battles. Hence, the least we can do for them is be kind.
And for anyone who is currently battling their own struggles, remember that your burden is not meant for you to bear all alone. Never be afraid to reach for help or find someone to speak to if everything becomes too much to handle. It’s okay to not feel okay, but it’s also best to communicate about it with someone you trust.
Your voice matters, your feelings are valid and so — you are.
You can feel suicidal but still turn up to work everyday and appear “fine”
Being suicidal may appear to be someone productive and persevering in life. It could also be someone who laughs at work while bragging about how delicious their iced coffee tastes or those who boast about how great their day was and being able to sleep early and get a full hour of sleep.
Yet, no one can really assess a person’s load if just the physicalities are seen.
If work can be so draining, so does pretending to be fine so that people wouldn’t know your misery. It’s hard for someone to pretend as if everything is fine and to carry on while merely surviving the day in silence.
Therefore, we must consider being a support system for our colleagues and reassuring them that we can be their safe place in times of struggle.
We sometimes hated the idea of interacting with other people and interfering in their personal lives at some point, but being there and reassuring that someone is willing to listen is a big help in supporting those who are in a suicidal state.
Some weren’t really reluctant to open up and talk about their feelings, it was just that no one was there to listen to them. So, be there if you can.
There are days when getting out of bed feels extra heavy, and that’s okay. You can take all the time you need to heal from the things you can’t speak about, and you shouldn’t feel obligated to do so if you don’t want to.
Your voice matters, and so does— your silence.
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