My Depression Story

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, and I took a quiet long time to reflect, write and draw this post.

Before the COVID lockdown, my grandpa passed away unexpectedly. Because the borders closed and flights stopped, I couldn't return to Korea to say goodbye. My grandpa and grandma cared for me while my parents worked when I was young, so not going to his funeral left a deep sadness and guilt inside me.

The grief, combined with the emotional challenges of adjusting to life in Tahiti, led me into depression. I felt very small. I withdrew from the people who loved me and chose to be alone.

Gratefully, the therapy suggested by my loved one helped me realize that I didn’t want to stay in that version of myself. I wanted to change. I wanted myself back.

Today, I am at the point where I can say that I am grateful for the challenges from depression.

Experiences from depression were painful, but it also taught me how to express my feelings more honestly and to see the emotional scars others carry.

This is my story, and I want to share it with those who are walking through something heavy.

You are not alone.
You are loved.
Let us live together ❤️