“My depression started towards the end of my late teens. I had always been a happy, quietly confident person so it was a huge change to become sad and numb. I’d just finished my GCSE’s and starting at a new college with very few friends and a backpack of big dreams and ambitions. Within two months of starting my A levels, I dropped out. I remember crying to my parents and not fully understanding why I felt such an overwhelming sadness.
So, still not realizing I was struggling with depression, I threw myself into a new venture to become an accountant. I managed to snag myself an apprenticeship with a well-known shoe manufacturer as an apprentice accountant in their accounts department. It could have been great. 4 years and I would be fully qualified, except depression was sinking its claws in deeper.
It was on the train home from work when I realized how bad it had got. I started to have a panic attack. I couldn’t breathe and once I finally stepped off the train, I still had a 10-minute walk home. Shaking, crying, and incredibly shook up, my family realized something wasn’t right.
I was signed off from my apprenticeship and I never went back. I spent days at home with no energy to even get dressed. I started anti-depressants and after finally finding the ones that worked, I started to get better.
After starting counseling, I sought out an outlet, a way to share my ups and downs. I’m a creative person and have always enjoyed creating something out of nothing. That’s when I started blogging about my mental health.
After a few months, I started to get emails from my readers, telling me how I’d helped them feel understood and less alone. A fire lit within me and after spending so long battling my mind and struggling to find my passion, I realized my true calling. To help others overcome depression and create a life they want to live.
I’m still overcoming depression, it’s not all sunshine and blog posts but it’s a hell of a lot better than before. I’m grateful to have a way to help others and I’m going to continue helping people. I’m currently training to be a qualified counselor and I’m enjoying (nearly) every step of the journey.”
You can follow Jess on her blog and instagram.
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