Words of Consolation

Dear Needs Advice,

Please know that you are not alone. Millions of people of all identities and backgrounds suffer from depression all over the world, and I have had firsthand experience with it myself. I would advise you not to seek consolation on online forums, as there are many well-meaning yet underqualified strangers with keyboards at their fingertips, as well as many ill-intentioned strangers venting personal demons and insecurities. I would advise you, however, to turn to your loved ones for support. Hopefully they can help you seek professional guidance. Depression is a legitimate psychological ailment and it is difficult to manage without added feelings of alienation and guilt, which you DO NOT deserve to experience. Remove the expectations and stigma that you are shrouding your own feelings in, and let go of the standards you place on your personal truth.

With a global pandemic and racial tension on our international conscience, as well as a crisis in Yemen and in China regarding the persecution of Uighur Muslims, all of us have a lot on our minds and plates. However, please, please, do not give up hope. Through our collective discontentment arises the desire and the motivation to sow the seeds of change, and change is happening every day. You can be part of that change as well, which is an amazing privilege. We are experiencing a monumental shift, and shaking the dust from issues that were previously pushed to the wayside. All of us can use our talents to ensure that we arise from adversity and animosity a pheonix from the ashes of a tried and troubled system. Life is so, so meaningful and you are not confined to one purpose. Always remember that.

With love,

A Kindred Spirit.