“We survived. You and I. And those who survive have a duty. Our duty is to our best to keep on living. Even if our lives are not perfect.” -Haruki Murakami, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage

Discouraged. Exhausted. Broken. Lost. Again.

Sometimes everything goes right. You’re feeling good, feeling happy. You wake up to opportunity filled days. And you fall asleep at peace with the world. But it never lasts. Things have a way of falling apart.

Countless times I’ve found myself at the end. No more energy, no more strength. My will to fight drains through the hourglass, and I hear the clock ticking. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. It’s only a matter of time. The last chapter of my existence, running out of ink.

When it feels like there is nothing I can do, I can always breathe. I keep breathing, and the worst always passes. It is a simple fact that nothing lasts forever. A fact that is never more clear than after I get through a time of mental distress. There is great strength in surviving the storms that stem from mental illness. During these storms we may feel as if we have no strength. But during these times, we are at our strongest. We are strongest when fighting our toughest battles. Every second that we fight, we show strength. Even if we cannot see it, we are still strong. Strong enough to get through whatever struggles we are dealing with.

It is always discouraging when my demons show up at my door. Unwanted guests, who have a knack for getting inside. The hard truth is that this is simply a part of life. It is never easy. Just because I have been there before does not make me prepared for the next time I am ensnared in the sinister web of my ill mind. When I am unable to fight my way out of the vicious silk strands, there have always been people there for me. I have often relied on others to help pull me out of tough situations. I need the help of others, especially when I am having trouble helping myself. Having a circle of people that I can rely on is crucial in helping me through life.

When going through tough times, we must remember that we are not alone. We need to keep our friends and family close; it is so much easier to have the help of those we trust. And we must remember that we are strong. Always.