Depression: A thread

Holidays always have a way of making me think about the past. Yesterday, I thought about how fall is such a hard season for me. My dad was diagnosed with cancer in the fall. And it was around Thanksgiving in 2010 that my severe depression took hold...

I just remember watching the Macy’s Parade, something that was so full of fun and happiness, and I just couldn’t stop crying. A month later, I was hospitalized and it was so much scarier than any surgery I’ve ever had. So I always get a little nervous this time of year...

I worry about that depression coming back. Because it felt so all-encompassing, like it swallowed me entirely. Because I felt like I lost myself for a good 6 months. Because I worried every day that I’d never be Melissa again...

Maybe I’ll worry every fall for the foreseeable future, but something I’ll never feel is shame. Depression is a physical illness and if you’re struggling, please never feel shame, OK?? #mentalhealth