Writing with Depression and Anxiety
This is a difficult post to write.
Writing down your innermost feelings and then sharing them is always nerve-wracking, but it needs to be said. Mental health is an important conversation that people need to have more openly.
I struggle with depression and anxiety. Some days are worse than others. Lately, I haven't been doing so well. My brain is a dark and cruel place to be sometimes, and there is no escape. It's like an eternal prison cell.
Anxiety and depression are both lifelong struggles. There are no days off. You can't call in sick. It happens on its own, and you have no choice but to cope with it.
How does it affect writing, you ask?
When you're depressed, you have a lack of motivation. Tackling that next chapter or starting fresh with a new idea just isn't high on your to-do list. I go through periods of severe depression where I wonder if I should just give up on my writing - whether I should just give up on everything.
Often, my anxiety prevents me from leaving the house and communicating with others. I have trouble sleeping (and when I do, I suffer from nightmares), and it can be difficult to concentrate. I spend so much time worrying about irrelevant things that it can stop me from being creative altogether.
They say that the majority of creative people suffer from some sort of mental illness. Lucky us, huh?
I have to keep going. I want to make it through this. I want to finish my stories and see them published one day.
I will hold on. I will endure. I will rise and prosper.
I refuse to let my depression and anxiety ruin me.
If you're out there struggling with a mental illness, hold on for dear life. The light is there at the end of the tunnel, but you have to keep moving forward to find it. Whoever and wherever you are, I hope you find peace soon.
Sincerely,
Dana
Writing down your innermost feelings and then sharing them is always nerve-wracking, but it needs to be said. Mental health is an important conversation that people need to have more openly.
I struggle with depression and anxiety. Some days are worse than others. Lately, I haven't been doing so well. My brain is a dark and cruel place to be sometimes, and there is no escape. It's like an eternal prison cell.
Anxiety and depression are both lifelong struggles. There are no days off. You can't call in sick. It happens on its own, and you have no choice but to cope with it.
How does it affect writing, you ask?
When you're depressed, you have a lack of motivation. Tackling that next chapter or starting fresh with a new idea just isn't high on your to-do list. I go through periods of severe depression where I wonder if I should just give up on my writing - whether I should just give up on everything.
Often, my anxiety prevents me from leaving the house and communicating with others. I have trouble sleeping (and when I do, I suffer from nightmares), and it can be difficult to concentrate. I spend so much time worrying about irrelevant things that it can stop me from being creative altogether.
They say that the majority of creative people suffer from some sort of mental illness. Lucky us, huh?
I have to keep going. I want to make it through this. I want to finish my stories and see them published one day.
I will hold on. I will endure. I will rise and prosper.
I refuse to let my depression and anxiety ruin me.
If you're out there struggling with a mental illness, hold on for dear life. The light is there at the end of the tunnel, but you have to keep moving forward to find it. Whoever and wherever you are, I hope you find peace soon.
Sincerely,
Dana
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