Inaugural Post

Whether it's writing a blog post or doing something new, the first time for anything can be incredibly daunting; It sets the stage for what might possibly come afterwards so there is an element of unknowingness that can make even the bravest soul unsteady. With that in mind, I'm just going to close my eyes, pull off the metaphorical bandaid, and jump right in.

My name is Sharon and I am someone living with depression and ADHD. 

The idea for this blog and its title came to me on a whim, but my purpose for it is deeply intentional: I hope to increase mental health awareness, spark conversations, and do what I can (even if it's just a tiny pixel within the context of the grander picture) to decrease the stigma surrounding the area of mental health.

Whether you are aware of it or not, mental health affects each one of us in all aspects of our lives much like physical health does. In fact, I would argue that everything that happens to us on a physical level has a corresponding mental counterpart; Just like you can be physically healthy and feel great, become injured and feel pain, or become sick and feel horrible, the same can be said mentally as well. In fact, to me this is exactly what mental illness is: being ill in your brain which affects how you feel emotionally.

In terms of mental illness perhaps you know someone who is struggling with it and want to help but because you don't quite understand what they are going through you don't exactly know what to do. If this is you, I sincerely hope you'll find this blog helpful in terms of being able to get a glimpse of what mental illness is like from the perspective of someone who has experienced the darkness of depression.

However, if you are someone who has stumbled upon this blog and happen to be one of 'us' -- a tribe of people who struggle with mental illness -- then my message for you is simple but profound: you are not alone.

This blog isn't just about myself wanting to share my own experience though; No, this blog is not and cannot be all about me because, really, there is far too much at stake here. Instead, by sharing what I've been through and what I've learned and continue learning on my journey (which, by the way, I am definitely still on),  I hope others will feel enabled, empowered, and perhaps even inspired to share their own experiences with others as well (kind of like a 'pay it forward' of sorts) because the more we talk about mental health, the closer we will become to ending the stigma surrounding it.

Yes, I am aware that my dreams are big and my hopes are high, but hey you gotta start somewhere. :)

And just like that my first post is done and with the ending of this post comes the beginning of the rest of this blog. Here we go...