Personal Narrative: My Misunderstood Mental Illness

When I was first given this assignment, I did not know what to write about, but after some thinking I decided to choose a topic that isn't only about me but explains why I function the way I do. What's more authentic than the illness that shaped me into the person I am today? Depression is one misunderstood mental illness and is truly bittersweet. Living with depression helped me adjust to the world around me, by giving me a new perspective on how my actions may affect others. My family is a huge example, each individual family member can describe me in the same words: upset, bipolar, and mean. I'm not proud of this description. It honestly breaks my heart, but thankfully my family has unconditional love and can understand these outbreaks.
But it can also make me feel a very strong urge to do everything I've slacked on, all at the same time. See, depression is an illness that affects the most complex organ in the human body, the brain. Fighting a battle that's taking place inside your body is a difficult task, many people don't see the finish line because this inner body obstacle just becomes too much. If you really think about it, you're fighting with yourself, which can be difficult if many other factors come into play. In my case, factors such as low self-esteem, anxiety, being antisocial etc. Secondarily, overcoming this difficult stage in my life is what makes me more than just a person with an illness. I don't let depression define me, with it coming and going as it pleases, it leaves me with a space to enjoy my time as who I truly feel like I am. Aside from the hard times I come off as a very outgoing and bubbly person, my depression just seems to compress. I enjoy having hobbies like traveling, knitting, or spending time with my family, always brings me joy. But having depression can turn even the happiest moments
My depression may take its toll, but it never defeats me, even at my lowest I fight and I believe that's what makes me strong, when I'm at zero percent, nothing left to give I never stop fighting and it gets me a step closer to being able to handle my mental health better. I never want to lose my battle with depression. I personally think I'm stronger than that. But it does inspire me to be the best person I can be before my time is up on this beautiful planet. Moreover, there aren't any cures for depression. In my opinion this makes me feel like me and the community of people struggling with the same thing are really overlooked since we are left to have to deal with it on our own. Not to steal focus away from the even bigger diseases and illnesses, but we're just as important. Speaking statistically, the suicide rate hit over 240 people as soon as the new year of 2024 started. If that isn't a serious enough concern to seek help for this community, I don't know what is. And don't get me started on antidepressants, from an insider's perspective they make everything worse. It feels like you always have a gray cloud above