This Is Why ‘Check-Ins’ Are So Important When It Comes To Depression

“I didn’t want to wake up. I was having a much better time asleep. And that’s really sad. It was almost like a reverse nightmare, like when you wake up from a nightmare you’re so relieved. I woke up into a nightmare.” ― Ned Vizzini, 

Depression is something that comes with good days and bad days and as someone who knows this monster all too well, I can tell you a thing or two about why checking in with our loved ones who have depression could be life-saving.

For some most of us, we rarely check in with our loved ones as often as we should, because it is just so second nature to just focus so much on ourselves and what is going on in our own lives.

But for people who struggle with depression, it is so important that they have a positive support network that they can check in with from time to time.
With depression, you can just have days where the heaviness gets to you and you want to give up.

And honestly, it helps when you just have someone to talk to and encourage you during these times because no one should ever have to go through depression in silence or suffer alone.

I have my best friend who has been with me through the worst times of my life and my boyfriend who loves me immensely, to encourage me when times get really tough.

And for them, I am eternally grateful, because God knows the place I would be in if I didn’t have them to just talk to.

To take it a step further, I also think about the fact that in depression, even though there are good days, there are days when heavy thoughts can reoccur, such as wanting to harm yourself, etc, and talking through this with a friend can help alleviate the situation.

In general, we really need to start getting into the habit of checking in with our loved ones every so often.

Just a “Hey, I was thinking about you and I hope you are okay,” can at times be a lifesaver to those who are dealing with sadness, heaviness, and dark thoughts.

Mental illness is real and we need to prioritize the people we have in our lives and check-in from time to time.

We aren’t meant to fight our battles alone and having the support that we need can be all it takes to lead to a great recovery in terms of our mental health.

Think about someone you love today.

Do they need a check-in?