“It’s Not a Place You Need to Sacrifice Your Life For”

I’m currently 23 years old, working full-time. I have painful memories of struggling with depression during my university years.

As a student, my main focus was academics. I was swamped with studies and took on a part-time job to earn some money.

But I started feeling stressed from the busyness, and it built up over time. I began sleeping poorly, feeling down easily, and noticing other unusual symptoms.

My body couldn’t keep up anymore, so I took a break from my job and went to a hospital. There, I was diagnosed with depression.

Honestly, it was a huge shock.

I never imagined I’d get depression, so I doubted my own body. I knew it was affecting my mind, but I didn’t want to admit it.

I had less energy than before and naturally didn’t want to see my friends. More than anything, I didn’t want them to see me being so negative.

Still, I had to submit assignments and go to school. But for some reason, I just didn’t want to.

Things that used to be fun felt joyless. I was becoming a bit of a recluse.

Then, my perspective shifted because of something I heard on an NHK program: “It’s not a place you need to sacrifice your life for.”

It was a phrase from a show about bullying, but it really hit home for me at the time.

I realized that while I was doing what I had to, it wasn’t worth pushing myself to the point of breaking my body and mind or making my illness worse.

I thought, “If I don’t treat this now, it’ll drag on, and I won’t even be able to graduate.” I was anxious and scared, but I decided that if my body wasn’t cooperating, I needed to take a break.

I took a leave of absence, but I later graduated and recovered from depression.

※This article is a personal depression story. The content is solely based on personal experience and is not medical advice. Consult a doctor for professional advice.