The first words...

Last week was Mental Health Week.  I am using this as the excuse to write my first post for the Intentional Observer. 

So here goes....

For as long as I can remember, I have felt displaced, irrelevant, alone and lost.  For as long as I can remember and for every waking minute of my life, I constantly battling the urge to self-harm.  Some days are overwhelming, some days are manageable.  But I take each day as it comes and so far I have survived.

This frame of mind is not logical.  It just is.  It is not a result of weak will.  It is not a result of failed efforts to change.  It is not a result of anything that I am doing or not doing.  It just is.

Many people face the same daily battle that I do.  In them I see courage and conviction.  In them I see beauty.  In them I see compassion and I see a startling amount of strength.

Depression is a disease.  And there isn't a simple solution.  Mental health issues are on the rise. 

If you know of someone who suffers from depression here's a few things you can do:

1. Ask them what's wrong and listen to them.  Don't judge what they are saying, don't commentate, don't suggest solutions.  Just listen.
2. Put your arms around them.  Don't be shy.  Don't flinch.  And let them be the first to break the hug.
3. Tell them how much you mean to them.  How valuable they are to you.  How important they are in your life.
4. Don't make them feel guilty about their feelings.  They can't control their feelings.  It is better to let those feelings out with someone they trust than to bottle them up.
5. Don't tell ANYONE what was said or done.  This secret is worth taking to your grave.

Depression and all other mental health issues are serious.  Some of us are very adept at hiding our true pain.  All we can ask of you is to be there when the pain is too much.