Anonymous, Age 18

From a young age, I’ve always felt down but never knew why.

I have never told anyone. I’ve kept it bottled up inside and perhaps this is why I come off as aggressive at times. I used to be bullied at school. I never had the best time at home and nobody seemed to understand me or what I stood for. I do have high hopes and aspirations for life, but it gets me down when I actually think about the hardships I’ve faced and how they seem to be never ending.

I’ve never considered myself to be depressed though there are many days of feeling pathetic and upset, and after so long I’m now wondering if this was the problem. Without my close friends who understand me and who I am, whose support keeps me going day in and day out, I would be nothing. There are intense moments where I want to leave and end it, but even at my worst there is always one friend there for me when I need them most.

We all need that friend to cheer us up and share a positive view of life. I know that I do. I would think about walking into traffic or veering off the road and ending the hardship but there are always positives that we occasionally miss. Sometimes we all just need a bit of HOPE.

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