Writing Myself Out of the Brink of Depression
Enjoy this very candid blog by guest blogger Danny Adams about how creative writing helped him defeat his depression.
SOURCE: www.pexels.com
Have you ever reached a point in your life when nothing seems to work? A point when nothing seems to make sense anymore. No better thing to do but sleep the whole day or watch TV to get the troubles out of your mind. Funds are running low, friends are nowhere to be found, family giving up on you, and you can’t seem to figure out how to snap out of it.
I once felt this way. I was on the brink of depression.Good thing I was quite aware of it but I don’t know what to do about it.
People around me would continuously give me pep talks. Colleagues suggested reading materials to help me get out feeling so low. I even tried incorporating it on my essay submissions when I was working at EssayHelp.
Nothing seemed to work, though. I was already considering seeing a shrink. Until one fine day, I did what I used to love doing – writing.
I created this character that is carefree and having the time of his life. Then he got into obstacles he had not encountered before. It became difficult for him to overcome the challenges he faced. I was writing freely and continuously. In a matter of a few hours, I had drafted a short story.
The character in the short story was a tad bit like me, but he has some traits that I could only aspire to. He’s adventurous, I was calculating.
He triumphed, and I was losing.
He was young, and I was past my prime.
Then it hit me, why should I limit myself with my traits? Can’t I become like that character in the story?
I continued with my writing, and as I did, matters in my own life were put into perspective. It was me separating myself from the situation and logically analyzing what else can be done revealed through the story I was writing. The issues in my own life became clearer. Fears, anxiety, and worries surfaced. I became aware of them. With this newfound clarity, I had something to work on to improve my state of being.
Creative writing became my therapy. I did not limit myself to short stories. I wrote essays and poems. With this, I had a clearer picture of my life. I was able to recognize the silver lining. I had more things to be thankful for.
With writing, my mood improved and the people around me sensed it. I welcomed help from friends and family. It was the start of putting the broken pieces of my life together again.
Since I regained a positive perspective, I became more hopeful with my work. I came up with better ideas to do my job better.
I eased my way out of the brink of depression through writing my heart out.
From then on, writing has become my outlet. I don’t just write when I go through rough times. I realized that writing about positive things in life result to even more positive things. By writing about happiness, I have a lot of reasons to be thankful.
With gratitude comes hope. Hope helps bring the best in me.
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Author BioDanny Adams is a proud alumnus of the University of Oregon with a degree in creative writing. With his writing finesse and knack for managing people, he co-founded EssayHelp. Some of his published articles are aimed towards helping and providing opportunities for freelance writers. If his busy schedule permits, Danny indulges in golf or hockey.
