I Survived the Shittiest Year of My Life

by | Sep 10, 2021 | Community Stories

I haven’t ticked any goals on my checklist for this year; those bumps along the roads, the failures, the doubting, self-sabotaging, things didn’t turn out the way I planned, the harsh reality that not all people around you weren’t meant to stay, and the unresolved traumas were the final nail in my coffin that made my anxiety and depression got worse. Not only that, but I have been tormented by my mind that led me to lose hope in every trial and tribulation, those heavy feelings in my chest accelerated by my own fear and panic attack, sleepless nights trying to put myself back together from broken pieces, intrusive thoughts become my meal and made me lose weight, I even lose my faith and started questioning God about my life’s existence and blame Him for my misery – lines began to blur. I let those chains wrap, choke, and bind me.

Several days, weeks, and months of drowning myself, I finally learned to acknowledge what I’m feeling and that’s when I found the courage to seek a professional. Yes, I am currently undergoing Psychotherapy from a psychologist and still being monitored by a psychiatrist for my medicines. At first, it was not easy putting down the walls I built around me, opening my unhealed wounds that no one knew about and the repressed emotions that needed to be released. 

Nightmares. Pills.

Emotionally unstable. Pills

Intrusive thoughts. Pills

Hope begins to fade. Pills

I became dependent on my pills. Prescribed doses increased, and yet I’m still being swallowed by a monster under my bed.

Only a few of my closest friends (not more than fingers in my single hand) knew about this. They became my support system throughout my struggles and pain. I learned to open up and share my feelings. I am slowly trying to fight the curse of apathy. Also, despite turning my back on Him, I felt His presence during my darkest times by using my friends and family as an instrument to guide me on a righteous path forward and carried me to the door of light. This verse always reminds me that the way forward is by trusting and putting faith in God. 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Now the year is near over, amid the darkness within me, I’m finally committing to living and I have to roll the dice because this is the game I chose to fight and win. My emotions may be like flipping a switch, still, it is a baby step. “Trust the process” It may sound cliché, but it’s progress. I still have a long way to go on my inner journey towards loving myself. Healing does not happen overnight.

The withered flower has started to bring its life and watch it bloom again. 2021 is finally here, the only way forward is up. I have to focus on the now, live in the present moment. 

Keep breathing and trust that things will eventually get better.

 

~ Daisy Dimarucut

The Weight of Winter

2.10.24 Birds must have flown south for the winter. Or wherever the *** it is birds go when thewind and the cold ransack the homes they had nested within the now barren branches. The trees look broken—almost. I didn’t even notice their orange and yellow leaves...

the Correlation Between Poverty and Mental Health

With January now underway, many view it as a fresh start or a period of change. It’s a month when one begins the process of creating new resolutions or vision boards to serve as a direction for the new year. This focus on change fails to take into consideration how...

How to talk to your teenager about suicide prevention

Before reading this article, I would like to provide a trigger warning when discussing the topic of suicide.  The month of September is known to be a time in the year marking the end of summer to transition to the beginning of autumn. It’s a month of change...

the Stigma of Mental Health still Fills the Halls of High School

When some think of high school, they may think of it as one of the happiest times of their lives. High school can be a period of personal growth where one develops self-identity, gains independence, makes lasting friendships, etc. This period in life can shape one’s...

“Bye Bye”: Back-to-School Anxiety & How Parents Can Intervene

As August rolls around each year, it signifies the beginning of a new school year, promising a fresh start to learn and grow with peers. A new school year offers room to make new memories, new friendships, and an opportunity to pursue academic goals. Despite this,...

A Parent’s Guide to Impostor Syndrome

As a parent, there is a great deal of responsibility placed on one to ensure they are the ideal role model for their children to look up to. One has to be mindful of what morals or values they want to instill into their children to emulate. This can be true when...

Scrolling Into Insecurity- Social Media’s effects on Eating Disorders

Up to 95% of adolescents, ages 13-17 years old, report using a social media platform, with more than a third saying that they use social media almost constantly [1]. Social media has become a large part of our lives, and the way it impacts the youth has become a huge...

My Synesthesia Causes Me to Hear Colors and Taste Sounds

We all know what our senses are and how we use them every day, but what if you could hear colors and taste sounds? This connection between senses is called Synesthesia, and some people have this complex condition inside their minds. Synesthesia is a mental condition...

Media’s Romanticization of Mental Health Conditions

In contemporary culture, there are many subgenres and niches available for consumption online. Information now being so readily available has produced a new wave of awareness for young people. Concepts that were once reserved for strictly academic contexts now run...

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

April is typically a time in the year that can symbolize new beginnings or hope for the future. This month also happens to represent Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), which poses an opportunity for survivors to share their testimonies with greater recognition....

The Weight of Winter

2.10.24 Birds must have flown south for the winter. Or wherever the *** it is birds go when thewind and the cold ransack the homes they had nested within the now barren branches. The trees look broken—almost. I didn’t even notice their orange and yellow leaves...

How to talk to your teenager about suicide prevention

Before reading this article, I would like to provide a trigger warning when discussing the topic of suicide.  The month of September is known to be a time in the year marking the end of summer to transition to the beginning of autumn. It’s a month of change...

the Stigma of Mental Health still Fills the Halls of High School

When some think of high school, they may think of it as one of the happiest times of their lives. High school can be a period of personal growth where one develops self-identity, gains independence, makes lasting friendships, etc. This period in life can shape one’s...

“Bye Bye”: Back-to-School Anxiety & How Parents Can Intervene

As August rolls around each year, it signifies the beginning of a new school year, promising a fresh start to learn and grow with peers. A new school year offers room to make new memories, new friendships, and an opportunity to pursue academic goals. Despite this,...

The Weight of Winter

2.10.24 Birds must have flown south for the winter. Or wherever the *** it is birds go when thewind and the cold ransack the homes they had nested within the now barren branches. The trees look broken—almost. I didn’t even notice their orange and yellow leaves...

the Correlation Between Poverty and Mental Health

With January now underway, many view it as a fresh start or a period of change. It’s a month when one begins the process of creating new resolutions or vision boards to serve as a direction for the new year. This focus on change fails to take into consideration how...

the Stigma of Mental Health still Fills the Halls of High School

When some think of high school, they may think of it as one of the happiest times of their lives. High school can be a period of personal growth where one develops self-identity, gains independence, makes lasting friendships, etc. This period in life can shape one’s...

“Bye Bye”: Back-to-School Anxiety & How Parents Can Intervene

As August rolls around each year, it signifies the beginning of a new school year, promising a fresh start to learn and grow with peers. A new school year offers room to make new memories, new friendships, and an opportunity to pursue academic goals. Despite this,...

A Parent’s Guide to Impostor Syndrome

As a parent, there is a great deal of responsibility placed on one to ensure they are the ideal role model for their children to look up to. One has to be mindful of what morals or values they want to instill into their children to emulate. This can be true when...

Scrolling Into Insecurity- Social Media’s effects on Eating Disorders

Up to 95% of adolescents, ages 13-17 years old, report using a social media platform, with more than a third saying that they use social media almost constantly [1]. Social media has become a large part of our lives, and the way it impacts the youth has become a huge...

My Synesthesia Causes Me to Hear Colors and Taste Sounds

We all know what our senses are and how we use them every day, but what if you could hear colors and taste sounds? This connection between senses is called Synesthesia, and some people have this complex condition inside their minds. Synesthesia is a mental condition...

Media’s Romanticization of Mental Health Conditions

In contemporary culture, there are many subgenres and niches available for consumption online. Information now being so readily available has produced a new wave of awareness for young people. Concepts that were once reserved for strictly academic contexts now run...

The loss of someone you don’t know: How Matthew Perry’s death affected me

I was in elementary school when I first watched an episode of Friends. I was immediately drawn to the character of Chandler. We were both awkward. We were both funny. We both had problems. He was one of my first TV crushes after Shaggy from Scooby-Doo. I became...

The Effects of Schizophrenia and Depression on Everyday Life

Schizophrenia is a life-long mental health condition that affects the way someone perceives reality, and can include various symptoms including experiencing delusions and or experiencing hallucinations. Depression is a mental health condition that negatively affects...