Hi Everyone! I'm Colleen. I created ‘The
Beautiful Fight’ as a creative outlet to express some of the realities of
mental illness, specifically depression, in the hopes of diminishing negative stigma. Additionally, I hope to encourage all individuals, including myself, that have been impacted by mental health/illness in any way, shape or form that collectively, we too can achieve an optimum quality of life full of joy and vitality. Through the expression of
what I observe as empowering words, mantras, or lessons; or whether through
personal stories, may they be short-lived moments of despair and/or triumph, or
the exhausting of quotes, I hope to reflect, and maybe even relate, to the challenges
of mental illness.
I have suffered from Major Depressive
Disorder (MDD) for almost 8 years. Over the course of those years,
I have engaged in a variety of self-therapeutic strategies and have found that writing one’s thoughts down, particularly, can be highly effective in the healing
process. A wise friend of mine once told me, ‘take time to do what makes you happy,’ which at the time seemed so simple and so complex at the same time. To be honest, I had no clue what I could do that would make me happy." I mean, I'm depressed; doesn't that mean I am generally unhappy and therefore can't find much joy in things I used to do?" No, silly!
For years I have been writing down my thoughts and feelings, especially in times when I felt like I had no one who would understand me, or if I felt like my problems were not worthy of 'bugging' other people. As you may be able to tell, I have given up on myself multiple times before, but I am still here, smiling, and writing!
For me, writing about what I feel or think makes me a happier, and more fulfilled self. Mental illnesses, especially in the context of MDD, have gained a great deal of awareness and support within recent years, yet they are still feared and misunderstood by many people, which is understandable. It is amazing how our brains work, and how different they are from others around us. Yet, what is important to remember, and what I remind myself of often, is that we are all the same, just wired a bit differently. Don't let the fear of what could happen, or what people might think stop you from being the best version of yourself.
So, there you have it. I hope you enjoy! If you don't, 'just keep it down'.
For years I have been writing down my thoughts and feelings, especially in times when I felt like I had no one who would understand me, or if I felt like my problems were not worthy of 'bugging' other people. As you may be able to tell, I have given up on myself multiple times before, but I am still here, smiling, and writing!
For me, writing about what I feel or think makes me a happier, and more fulfilled self. Mental illnesses, especially in the context of MDD, have gained a great deal of awareness and support within recent years, yet they are still feared and misunderstood by many people, which is understandable. It is amazing how our brains work, and how different they are from others around us. Yet, what is important to remember, and what I remind myself of often, is that we are all the same, just wired a bit differently. Don't let the fear of what could happen, or what people might think stop you from being the best version of yourself.
So, there you have it. I hope you enjoy! If you don't, 'just keep it down'.
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