What helped me with my depression

Be me then, 21. Alone. Depressed. Felt like no one would care whether I was alive or not.

Be me now, 26. Connected. Not depressed. What changed?

I've stopped trying to think about what makes me valuable to others, and started focusing on what I have in common with people. It turns out, there's a lot. And that potential for connection I believe is what makes all of us valuable to each other.

No matter how depressed I was, I could find things that I shared with others. We've been hiking or bike riding. We've read Goosebumps or Bill Bryson. We've played Mario Cart or Solitaire (remember the cool way the cards would fall when you won). We've been to summer camps and taken swim lessons. We've felt depressed, we've lost friends. We've been amazed by watching the film "Planet Earth" (sometimes multiple times). We've had a first crush and we've all gotten a terrible haircut.

It goes on and on. All of the things that we have in common with each other is what makes us valuable to one another.

Its what helped me decide to stick around. I hope it helps you too.

Yeah I dig.

I've personally found that sharing my lessons, making myself vulnerable, talking about the shames that I've overcome, the judgements and fears that I'm fighting with every day, is an excellent way to create a connection. Personally I'm a very empathetic person, so allowing myself to feel uncomfortable and not have to run away from that feeling is a very empowering experience for me, it means I can support people in a much deeper and more enriching way than I have done my whole life.