Through rough patches, it's important to remember all the little things that make life good, and to seize on them and still have hope that things will improve, as well as staying in the moment and trying to enjoy life as much as possible. A mental health journey is never linear, and it's important to embrace the good times despite the bad. This is digital art, overlaid with a free-to-use font.
Mental health problems can be compounded by regrets of various kinds, grief for the person you used to be, and missed opportunities. In this poem, I tried to emphasise the strength it takes to go on anyway despite those regrets, and that the person I have become is still worth it. I wrote it specifically about self-harm, but it can be applied to a variety of disordered thoughts and behaviours.
One necessary thing with fighting mental health issues is courage and bravery in the fight. In this poem, I remembered the inspiring courage of a friend and the way we must stick at life despite everything. With the right support, a short-term crisis should improve, but it's hard to remember sometimes. Symbolism can be important to build into one's life as a reminder of what we should try to do.
I once read that the support of friends can sometimes be the difference between people with severe mental health issues getting through it, and not. In this piece, I wanted to represent how I feel, both supporting and being supported. Depression can feel incredibly isolating, but a strong support network reminds us that our minds are playing tricks on us.
Depression feels forever. I wanted to remind myself and others that there are seasons in life and it will not be forever, despite the way it feels. I ended it without a full stop to signify the ongoing process it can be, and the small steps that have to be taken to recover from it.
