I No Longer Suffer From Depression and Anxiety

Are you suffering from depression or anxiety? Well I used to suffer. Let me tell you a secret, I don’t suffer anymore.

My name is Jon Kirby. Let me tell you a little about myself. I’m a guy in his late forties. Married to the girl of my dreams. I have 5 amazing kids. I have wonderful friends including one fantastic supportive best friend. I have a great job. Good income. Excellent benefits. I live in a very nice home. I drive a really nice car. I’m living the American Dream.

Sounds perfect right? Well, if you had known me about 8–12 months ago, well let’s just say my world was very different.

As a precursor, depression wasn’t new to me. I have actually dealt with depression many, many times since I was a teenager. I was able to muddle my way through it each time and sort of get back to normal. It wasn’t until I saw my world begin to fall apart around me in late 2017 that I realized I was in the midst of the worst depression I had ever experienced…and that I was in deep trouble.

See I had just tried a career change that didn’t exactly go according to plan. My wife and I just experienced the stress of bringing another child into our family with no major source of income. No health benefits. I was fighting with my wife and kids regularly. I was angry at the world and angry with myself. I was hiding from the world in my bed, or at times even in my closet. I felt like an utter failure.

Suicidal you ask? I thought about it a lot. Fortunately, I hate blood, pain and heights. OK maybe I shouldn’t joke, but to sit around and think that the world would be better if I wasn’t around? Well that’s pretty serious stuff.

It was bad. Depression had completely handcuffed me. My anxieties kept me from making the decisions necessary to save my business. When I finally realized I needed to go find a full-time job…well I couldn’t muster up the courage to tell anyone about my predicament. Let alone get my butt in gear enough to make a serious effort to find a job. I didn’t feel like I deserved to succeed or get help from anyone.

I Don’t Suffer

You are probably saying, “Man this is depressing.” Yep it certainly was. Now let me tell you the good news. You saw me say I don’t suffer from depression anymore. Yes, that is very correct. I don’t suffer. You might be saying to yourself, “Wait this sounds like there is a catch!” If you thought that then you may have watched too many late-night infomercials, and you are kind of right, there is a bit of a catch.

I don’t suffer from depression and anxiety any more. No, this does not mean that they are gone forever from my life. I mean I choose not to suffer. Let me explain. The word “suffer” means to submit to or to be forced. What do I mean when I say I don’t suffer? I mean that I have chosen to no longer submit or be forced into a depressive or anxious state. I have taken control of my life. I have decided that I always will be a winner from now on and no longer a victim of my life.

You see, the state of my life that I described to you in the beginning is a result of re-educating and retraining my mind and mental state. Tony Robbins says, “Change is the way to get out of pain.” Change is exactly what I have done. To keep from repeating the same mistakes I had done before with my previous depressions, I had to make a change…well actually a lot of changes. I had to become someone I wasn’t. Someone better than I had ever been before.

No this was not an easy journey, and honestly the journey isn’t over. Did I say I was cured of depression and anxiety? No. I simply said I no longer suffer. I still have to use various tools from my toolbox to defend myself. Depression and anxiety will always follow me. But they will do so at a much further distance behind me than they used to. Why? Because they know I am ready to kick their tail if they try to control me again.

I have chosen to start sharing my journey to help others who suffer. I am no doctor nor am I a mental health expert. Some of the methods I have chosen to follow worked for me and are merely suggestions for you to consider. I have received help from counselors, clergy, family and friends. I have also sought out knowledge and information from a variety of sources to help me put my life back on the right path. If you continue to follow my writings, you will want to decide what is best for you, but first and foremost I ask that you seek the help needed. Ask a close friend, family member, a doctor, a member of your clergy or counselor. Just ask for help, like I did.

Build an Army

You have probably heard, “You are never alone.” This is so true. No matter the circumstances, we all have someone that cares about us. These people around us are a part of our lives for various reasons. They are family by birth, adoption or by marriage. They may be friends we have chosen to associate with or include in our inner circle of extended family. There is always someone that is ready to lift a hand and give us the added strength we need to overcome our struggles.

Sometimes you may not even realize what you need. You may think you have enough to get through. But if that were true, would you be where you are now? It’s more important to have the support you need in abundance than to have just enough.

Someone once told me that it’s important to build an army of people around you so that you have what you need when those unexpected battles arrive.

When the battle arrives is it better to have just enough help for the fight and hope you can win, or have an abundance of help and KNOW that you will win the fight?

Build your army!

Conclusion

For most of my life I kept following the same patterns. The same routines. Whenever I was depressed, I would always hide away. I rarely reached out for help. I was embarrassed. I felt ashamed. And honestly, I didn’t think I needed the help. I thought I had what I needed.

It was when I started making serious changes, including building up my army and committing myself to breaking the endless pattern of bad decisions, that I stopped suffering. If you choose to not make the changes needed in your life, you choose to continue suffering. You choose! No one else has chosen it for you. Change is the most important step towards ending your suffering.

I invite you to follow me in my journey. Whether you suffer from depression, anxiety or other mental health issues…or perhaps know someone who is suffering, my hope is that what I share here will give someone the hope they need to know that there is so much more to life…and you are missing out on your own fantastic journey.