My New Tattoo and the Deepness it Bears

Depression has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.  I was diagnosed with depression at age 19 but I remember being a child and feeling sad.  So now at age 42, I have been able to deal with my depression and take it for what it is--an illness.  It doesn't define me, I am more than my depression.  I am deeper and smarter and more interesting than my illness.  But it is a part of me, it is a chronic illness that I manage with medication, journal writing, and this blog; along with positive thinking and controlling negativity in my life.  It is part of my life and now my 16 year old daughter suffers from depression.  Something I wish she never had to go through.

Now that I am older and no longer care what others think.  I can now begin to really live a better life and by doing so I am no longer keeping my major depressive disorder a secret, I am using this blog as a way to share my secret, as I have been for a while now.   And I wanted to show everyone that I am not afraid of mental illness and that I should not be judged, discriminated upon, or harassed for an illness that I have. I long for understanding and awareness.  Finally on to the title of my post.  I got a tattoo yesterday of the Depression Awareness Green Ribbon with a butterfly on my ankle.  The butterfly represents to me the feeling of being free to be me, finally able to break out of my cocoon.

Depression does not take away from my character. It should not be ignorance that reigns over mental illness.  False beliefs about mental illness can cause overwhelming problems.  Get the facts, inform others, and help end the stigma about mental illness.  We are all human beings!  Let's coexist with a better understanding of one another.


Note:  I feel like a weight has been lifted off me.  I believe that blogging is better than therapy, at least for me right now :)---Jamie, Mental Illness Survivor and finally Life Liver.