6 upvotes, 1 direct replies (showing 1)
View submission: People WITHOUT depression and anxiety, what is life like?
It's interesting, because both my school and work involve working with people who struggle with depression and anxiety, and I struggle with neither. I have moments where I feel like I'm prevented from doing what I do to the fullest because I just can't empathize with what they're feeling; I can understand it theoretically, but it has to be loads different actually feeling it than just... knowing about it.
I definitely feel things like sadness, anger, and worry (both in my line of work and outside of it), and sometimes those feelings last for a long time. But other emotions like happiness and excitement cut through, and life has never felt hopeless or empty. I know how to handle emotions, addressing them and finding out what's at the root of them rather than running away and ignoring them. I know that there are people who love me and a world that begs to be explored. Even in this time where social distancing is encouraged, I still find myself engrossed in my hobbies and reaching out to my friends over videochats.
Again, I can't say how life is different without depression, because I've never experienced clinical depression or anxiety. I can only offer how I feel, in comparison with some of the stuff I've heard from those that I work with. But I can say that, while life isn't always easy or happy, it doesn't always suck, either.
Comment by Scout49 at 28/08/2020 at 12:29 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Thank you for what you do. I'd be lying if I said those fields don't need some people that have been through it and know exactly how it feels to help it improve, but that doesn't mean you're not doing great work. I'm sure the fact that you have listened and put in effort to understand how mental illnesses feel shows in a positive way. Keep it up