Labels are something i despise, even though i freely proclaim that words only power if you let them, they hold even more power if you try to hide them. Afraid of being treated differently, in ways beyond our control, we try to influence our outward image so others will encourage our strengths instead of exploiting and averting our fears.
The most commonly hidden label is depression, one that every community is starting to understand and accept the need to embrace. That acceptance however, carries with it a burden few are willing to take on, share, and in most cases even admit to. If you are depressed or commonly are impacted by feelings of anxiety, the practice of self care and the routine of aftercare are ones you should embrace and leverage often, if you are already versed in these routines then you are ahead of the game. Just don’t buy into the label, you are not less than, different than, worse off than anyone else, and you are only defined by it if you choose to be.
It’s not a liberating process as you might imagine, ensuring proper self care means you are on a new journey with an undefined roadmap and timeline. Sharing your journey with others similarly offers no clarity on what your needs are or will be, and doesn’t offer or a communication plan for how to approach you on a regular basis, or in time of need. The answer to how you should treat yourself differently and how others should treat you is that nothing should change. You should be kind to yourself and be kind talking about yourself, your support system similarly should continue to support you and try to be part of your journey, just as you should have been before.
Either way it starts with you, appreciate your own efforts, be kind when you make mistakes, and don’t expect others to ignore the signs when they are there. Let others know how you are doing, remove the guesswork, and keep the lines of communication open. Most importantly, don’t hide.
These panties were held together by a thread, i was as well, yet through it all we held ourselves together. It’s not easy to share how we are feeling when we want to hide it, but its the most important time to do so. If you need to talk, i am here to listen. If someone stops talking to you, be there with kind words, forgive them for their mistakes, and let them know what you see because it’s easier to see when you shine a light than when you tiptoe around in the shadows.
That’s what makes these panties special.