抑郁不能定义我

当我第一次申请成为十年级的级长时, 我在一个很棒的地方和很棒的朋友在一起. After I got my prefectship, I was on cloud nine and nothing could happen to me to tear me down. I loved coming to school, I loved playing sports and watching Mr. Delorme yell at Trofim in our Ethics class for something Camryn and I were doing and getting away with, 或者去历史课偷了Mr. 在我们谈论我荒谬的时尚感时，西玛德的零食.

我的暑假很棒，九月份我就准备好回学校了. 但生活对我打击很大. It was in December when I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, and I no longer found little things to make me laugh and be the highlight of my day. At first I thought it was just the winter blues until it got so bad I wasn't going to class. 即使在一年中最晴朗的日子，我也没有离开我的房间.

The summer wasn’t any better, and at the start of Grade 12, I was at my all-time lowest. 我对父母撒了谎，告诉他们我正在好转, I didn't open up to my friends in fear of them looking at me differently. 直到去年10月，我才说我不太好, 我需要帮助，但我自己做不到.

那我为什么要告诉你我的抑郁呢? 好吧, 抑郁症经常被误解或污名化, 导致那些受苦者感到羞耻和孤立. I am attempting to break down these barriers of stigma and shame. We as a community must create a culture where reaching out for help is not a sign of weakness but an act of courage. 通过培养同理心, 同情和理解, 我们必须不加评判地倾听, 提供支持.

当我终于寻求帮助的时候, I was taught that we are not defined by our struggles but by our resilience, 我们的勇气和治愈的能力. 在这一点上，我的生活不再围绕着我的诊断. 我还是有不开心的时候, and I’ve had to accept the fact that the medication I take every day will be a part of my life forever, but I'd much rather go to practice with my friends and cringe when Ms. 黑森数了另一个卡瓦格纳. 或者花一个小时和我的朋友一起笑，而不是学习. (对不起,女士. 我知道我们马上就要考试了.) It’s essential to emphasize that help is available for those struggling with depression.

Depression doesn’t just affect the individual; it has consequences for families and friends. 它会损害人际关系，妨碍工作效率. 通过公开和富有同情心地对待抑郁症, we can work towards creating a more supportive environment for those affected.

I would like to end with this: every day when I come back into my dorm room, Camryn问我一天中最重要的事情是什么, 每天都不一样, 但我一直记得西尔维娅·普拉斯的一句话:

“我爱人们。. 每个人都. 我爱他们，我想，就像集邮者爱他的收藏一样. Every story, every incident, every bit of conversation is raw material for me. 我的爱不是客观的，但也不是完全主观的. 我想成为每一个人，但我不是无所不知的. 我要过我的生活，这是我唯一的生活.”