If you’ve ever dealt with depression, you know what it’s like to go through difficult times that don’t seem to have an end in sight. But once you’ve made it through that challenging period in your life, you’re left with valuable insight about life, hardship and dealing with adversity. Below are just some of the lessons you may have learned that can help you through future struggles and serve as hope to those who are still in the midst of depression.
You’re Stronger Than You Think
When you were in the midst of your depression, you may have thought that you weren’t strong enough to get through your struggles. But now that you’ve overcome your depression, you know that you have the mental fortitude to make it through seemingly impossible situations and periods of life. Next time you deal with something difficult, you’ll be able to handle it with the knowledge that you’re stronger than you think because you’ve made it through challenging times before.
It’s Important to Face Your Problems
Depression makes it tempting to avoid your problems instead of dealing with them, but in order to overcome depression, you have to face your issues head on. Now that you’re on the other side, keep in mind that in all aspects of life, it’s important to deal with your problems. Avoiding them will only drag you down and make it harder to handle an issue down the road.
Your Perceptions Can be Wrong
When you were struggling with depression, you may have had thoughts like “I’m not good enough,” “I’ll never overcome my depression,” “I’m worthless” and “No one really cares.” But once you overcome depression, you learn that your perception isn’t always right—that just because a loud inner voice is telling you negative things doesn’t mean they’re true.
It’s Okay to Seek Help
Before or during your struggles with depression, you may have thought that seeking help was weak, or that you should suffer alone. Since you probably had to reach out for help before you were able to recover—whether that help was in the form of therapy, counseling or medication—you now know that it’s okay (and sometimes even necessary) to turn to others for help. While this is a good thing to keep in mind should you ever have depression again, you can also apply this lesson to other aspects of your life; you can ask for help regardless of what you’re struggling with, be it work, school or a relationship.
When you overcome depression, you not only overcome an illness, but you gain a whole new perspective on life and dealing with hardship. Keep the lessons you’ve learned from overcoming depression in mind as you go through life, and use them to encourage others who may be dealing with similar problems. If you ever find yourself struggling with depression again, remind yourself of the things you’ve learned and know you have the strength and tools to overcome depression again.
Feature Image: Caleb George
