Walking in Sana’s shoes:

Sana battled with depression and anxiety for years. I was always there to support her, but looking back, I realize I never fully understood what she was going through. She often said, "I feel out of it," after trying yet another medication that didn’t seem to work. At the time, I couldn’t quite grasp what she meant. I would encourage her to push through, thinking that with enough effort, things would get better. But now, I find myself in a similar situation and finally understand just how challenging that was for her. Recently, my doctor started me on new medication for PTSD and sleep. While it helps me rest, it also leaves me feeling "weird and out of it," just as Sana described. I find it difficult to get out of bed, and the simplest tasks, like calling someone, seem overwhelming. I’m not working right now, so staying in bed isn’t as much of a problem, but I keep wondering, how did Sana manage? She had a job and needed to be up early every day. How did she find the strength to do it? It’s ironic that I am now experiencing the very things Sana struggled with, and I realize just how hard it must have been for her. We often dismiss mental illness and anxiety as myths or trendy terms thrown around by millennials. But the truth is, they are very real and can be debilitating. It’s easy to say, “I understand,” but I now know how powerful and necessary those words can be. As I move through days that seem to blend into one another, with little motivation or joy, I am struck by the reality of mental health struggles. This is not just a phase or something one can snap out of. It’s a genuine, deep-seated issue that needs to be addressed with compassion and understanding. Looking back, I wish I had understood more about what Sana was going through. I pushed her to try harder, not realizing that she was already giving all she could. Now, as I face similar challenges, I see how difficult it must have been for her to get up every morning and go to work, despite feeling so disconnected from the world. Mental health is not something to be taken lightly. It’s not just a matter of willpower or effort. It’s a real, complex issue that affects every aspect of a person’s life. If there’s one thing I’ve learned through this experience, it’s the importance of empathy and the need to truly listen and understand those who are struggling. Sana’s battle with mental health taught me that sometimes, simply saying “I understand” can make all the difference.