The Recovery Letters is a blog which publishes letters addressed to those suffering with depression, written by people who are recovering. They kindly approached me to write one for them. I hope you like it.
Dear You
Did you know that there are flowers which bloom only in the darkness? Even on the blackest night, Moonflowers blossom, their beauty shining through.
Depression can make you forget everything you know and rob you of rational thought. It sucks the colour out of life and makes you feel like the world is spinning without you, like you’re absent. Like you don’t belong in any conversation. Like it wouldn’t matter if you weren’t present in the room, the town, the world.
The strength of depression lies in its ability to negate positivity. No matter how sincere the compliments others may pay you, you can’t believe them. You can’t accept that you’re worthy of love, acceptance or even happiness.
But you are. You really, really are. You can’t see it at the moment, because you’ve got a rain cloud over you. There’s a deluge of icy rain blurring your vision and a fog in your mind, obscuring your thoughts. But underneath it, the truth is you’re still there. You’re here and you matter. You’re kind, beautiful, loved. You’re important to so many people and you deserve to get better.
I know you don’t believe me. I wouldn’t have believed these words either. I’d have discounted them, ruled out any positive words. Put myself down.
I spent long, dark, anxious nights awake. My mind raced and I felt like the only person awake in the world. As if the night would never end. Panicking and palpitating and crying.
But little did I know then, that even during darkness, flowers still bloom. And one day, without you even realising, you start to notice them again. It starts with a strange feeling one morning. You think of something you’ve got planned for later on that day, and an odd feeling comes over you. It takes a while to recognise it at first. Is is anxiety? No. It’s called positivity. You’re looking forward to things again. Fancy that.
You might look up at the blue sky, and really see it. Once clear sky seemed to mock you, going about it’s business despite your pain. But suddenly you’ll really see the sky again, appreciate it, allow it to bring you a sliver or joy.
One day soon you’ll notice a beautiful flower, or laugh at a joke, or sing along to something. Little by little, you WILL get better. Because you, as much as anyone, deserve happiness. You are worthy of love, of kindness and of compassion.
In the depths of the darkness it seems like you’ll never recover. But you simply must believe that you deserve better than this. Because you do. You are more than your depression and it does not define you. It is a chapter in your life, yes. Perhaps a big and significant one. But it’s not the final chapter.
Help is out there, so please, please, find someone who will listen to you. Who will sit with you in the dark place until you’re ready and capable of leaving it behind you. If it’s medication you need, take it. Seek out therapy, support, exercise…. Whatever you need. If you don’t know what you need, please find someone to guide you.
Falling apart gives you the opportunity to put yourself back together, like a phoenix from the ashes. You may never be quite the same, but that’s okay. Even in the dark you’ve been quietly blooming and learning. You just haven’t been able to see it in yourself. Soon you will.
Be kind to yourself, dear friend. It truly can and will get better. I promise. You’re not alone.
You can find many more letters here.
Mummy Kindness 
Beautifully written. I have forwarded this to someone who I know will take comfort from your thoughtful words xx
Well wrote and moving thank you for sharing.Letter writing is something that I encourage in therapy if the client is willing as it can assist the client to move forward and grow. when talking may be a struggle for the client .Again thank you .
Tracy thank you for this. I’ve found writing to be so therapeutic. Some of my posts have laid ghosts to rest and lifted weight from my shoulders. I highly recommend it! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Thank you so much. I hope your friend finds it helpful and I really appreciate your support. Much love x
YOU are an amazing person. Thank you so much for doing this xx
Claire what a sweet and kind comment. Thank you so much x
Wow what an amazing post, very well written
Thank you @One Dad! Looking forward to checking out yours and the other posts on your blog hop!
Wow what a really powerful – and very true – way of describing how it feels. My depression makes me feel like the invisible woman. But just as I’m protesting that people don’t take any notice of me, I’m thinking that I don’t deserve them to. It’s a long road, but it helps when we talk about it and share our experiences, so we know we’re not alone.
Wow amazingly written – I’ll have to go and have a look at the site, sometimes it can feel so isolating when you slip back into that darkness.
Thank you for link up with the I Love My Post Blog Hop
Sarah
Life in a Break Down
xx
Oh my… As a sufferer from depression, still in the middle of quite a long episode at the moment, that hit me. HARD! It brought tears to me eyes, thank you so much for sharing this and the link to the blog x
Thanks so much for commenting. I hope this dark cloud passes soon for you. Much love and big hugs xx
Depression seems to be lurking there, in the darkness, waiting for the wrong step.
Thank you for writing this. I think I will print it out and keep it handy for the next time I feel like I have taken that wrong step.
It is amazing how even with all the love and compassion around us, we can still feel so alone, unloved and undeserving. How hard it is to remember that it is not true, sometimes.
I loved the flowers in the dark bit. Hit home.
Thank you for being that person to make others realise we are not alone in this fight.
I’ve just read this. I’m in a friend’s house, surrounded by family and friends, yet in some ways it feels like only your words understand how I truly am inside because I’m acting a part in the real world. Your prose is lovely and is a good thought to hang on to now I’m heading back to the throng. Thank you x