This is the first video in a new format I want to do, called Let's Talk, just for me to share my thoughts about various topics.

[DISCLAIMER: The video contains heavy subject matter, such as talking about suicide. I am not an authority on this topic, everything I say is purely anecdotal.]

This video is about depression, how it's affected me, and my perspective on this mental illness. This is purely anecdotal, I do not have sources to cite and I am not a professional by any standards. I'm not trying to offer solutions, I'm simply seeking to raise awareness. I want people to view depression and other mental illnesses not as something you need to be ashamed of and kept hidden from the public eye. We're struggling, we need help, but we can't get help if we don't seek it.

I've been through the worst that depression has to offer. I've been to my lowest point, and I've attempted suicide multiple times, and yet I'm still here. I'm sick, I need help, and I'm actively trying to improve my situation, but it's not easy.

Depression affects millions upon millions of people, and it can be a life threatening condition. If you know someone who is depressed, please help them. Reach out to them, talk to them, offer even the smallest gestures of friendship so that they know they aren't alone. It's easy to become smothered by the feelings of loneliness and despair, so break that storm clouding their mind and show them that there is a light, somewhere.

To everyone who had depression, you're not alone. You have people who care for you, and there are people who understand how you feel. Depression will make you feel isolated and abandoned, left to your own devices to combat an enemy you might not even understand, but that doesn't have to be the case. You don't need to listen to the lies you end up believing about yourself. You may not be able to trust your emotions, but you can learn to see yourself from a different perspective.

I know it's a long video, and I tend to ramble a lot, and some of what I say may sound silly, but I feel like everything I say here is important for everyone to understand. I appreciate you watching and reading this.

If you have any questions, or want some clarification on anything I said, leave a comment and I will reply.

Thank you for watching.
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TIMELINE

00:05 Introduction
01:22 What is depression?
02:55 My experience with depression (to my lowest point)
13:07 My experience with depression (back to a manageable point)
15:54 You're not alone
17:02 Seeing yourself differently
22:35 Reasons to stay alive
26:55 I'm proud of you
28:09 Reach out