Yesterday was World Suicide Prevention Day, and I decided to be honest with everyone about my mental illness. I had opened up about my depression on Steemit last week but finally decided to come clean to all of my friends and followers on Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. I had disappeared from social media and streaming for over a week, and I tried to explain the best I could why I was gone. I was extremely nervous about opening up about an illness that has such a stigma and a ton of misconceptions surrounding it, but I'm glad I did. I still feel like I didn't convey it properly, but I did my best.
After hiding my struggle with this illness for years, I feel as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I've finally stopped hiding something that I deal with on a daily basis now. I know it may not seem like a big accomplishment, but I'm proud of myself because it took a lot of courage for me to post the video.
Being honest about this monster I'm fighting felt a lot like washing a wound. It was uncomfortable and painful at times, but I feel like I can finally take the time to heal instead of just ignoring it and pretending it doesn't exist. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of understanding and support people showed, and I regret not doing this sooner.
Depression can be isolating because it's so difficult to talk about and understand. But if you're dealing with it, please don't stay quiet. Just talking about it can help. Don't go through this alone.