Waves

Depression comes in waves.

It ebbs and flows, coming and going, each wave varying in intensity from the others.

Sometimes, I know a storm is coming. I know the waves will be rough, so I do everything I can to prepare and to protect myself and minimize the damage.

Sometimes, the waves get torrential out of nowhere, and I find yourself swept up in the relentless current, struggling to keep my head above water.

Depression is like that. Sometimes, there are warning signs: a change of seasons. An unpleasant anniversary. These are the times I know to hold on to my coping skills tightly, let loved ones know what’s coming, and ride it out like I always have.

Other times, it comes out of nowhere. One day I’ll be perfectly happy and the next, it’ll take everything in me to get out of bed. My responses to texts will become shorter. My days will be filled with more sleep than socializing or school. I’ll lay there wondering, “What did I do wrong?”

But just like I have survived storms, I continue to survive my depression. No matter how long the storm lasts or how intense it gets, I know that the waves will subside and there will be calm again.