World Mental Health Day: My Ongoing Journey Toward Healing
Every year, World Mental Health Day reminds us that we’re not alone in our struggles, and that our pain, our effort, and our hope matter. I’ve lived most of my life learning what it means to survive, to cope, to rebuild, and to grow through mental illness. For me, it’s never been a straight path. It’s more like a winding road full of breakdowns, breakthroughs, and detours.
I live with chronic depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, cPTSD, ADHD, and a handful of chronic physical illnesses that can make everything worse. For a long time, I thought these diagnoses defined me — that they made me broken or weak. I spent years trying to mold myself into something more palatable for the world.
But healing, I’ve learned, isn’t about fixing what’s “wrong.” It’s about understanding what hurts, learning what helps, and finding small ways to meet yourself with compassion and grace, even in the midst of the storm.
Of course, there were times when I truly didn’t think I’d make it. Times when I felt completely unlovable and tired of trying. Hell, there are still days I feel that way. But over and over again, something — sometimes small, sometimes sacred — reminded me to stay.
A song that felt like a lifeline.
A friend’s gentle check-in.
A sunrise after a sleepless night.
A moment where I realized that even in my pain, I was still growing.
These are the tiny miracles that build a life.
If you’re struggling right now, please know: your story isn’t over. Healing doesn’t look the same for everyone. It’s not linear, and it doesn’t have to be aesthetically pleasing. Sometimes it’s just surviving the next hour. Sometimes it’s asking for help. Sometimes it’s learning to rest without guilt.
Just remember:
You are not a burden. Your presence matters more than you can imagine.
Rest is productive. You don’t have to earn your right to exist.
Healing isn’t a race. It’s okay if it takes years and years, or even forever.
There is no shame in taking medication, going to therapy, or using any tool that helps you cope.
I’m still in the process of building a life that allows me to blend my pain with purpose — to talk openly about death, loss, and grief through my work with Deathcraft, and to honor the sacredness of every part of being human. Mental health is a lifelong relationship, not a destination. But with care, boundaries, love, and community, it can become something softer and more sustainable.
If today you need a reason to stay — let it be this: the world needs your story. Even if you can’t see the light right now, it’s still there, waiting for you.
You are worthy of rest.
You are worth of peace.
You are worthy of a life that feels like yours.
If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for help. You can call or text 988 in the U.S. to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline anytime, day or night.
You are not alone.
