It's ok to ask for help

One day you wake up and the world around you has changed in the blink of an eye.
Maybe it's because of work.
Maybe it's because of family.
Maybe it's because of love.
Regardless, you wake up with this hole in you. This feeling of hopelessness. This feeling of loss.  Sometimes it's hard to even say exactly what it is... it can be a bunch of little things and it was one straw that broke the camels back.
But this is just today, there's always tomorrow.
Unfortunately tomorrow you have an even harder time getting out of bed. What's the point? You couldn't sleep last night because your mind was racing and you couldn't find your shut off switch.
You get up anyways, you put on a strong face for the world and you go about your day.
The next day the same thing, and the next and the next. You tell yourself it's just a funk and you'll wake up better tomorrow.
But two weeks down the road this funk has you so drained, so exhausted, so on edge. It's starting to impact people around you. It's starting to impact your life.
This is real life, this isn't just a funk.
This is called depression.

Many people go through it and many people don't understand it. They try to put on a brave face and say tomorrow will be better, and maybe it will be. But some people get dragged down to the bottom of this deep deep ocean. Some people don't see a way out.

I went through this about 6 years ago when a whole bunch of stuff went wrong. I didn't see the signs. I didn't know what this was. I was too stubborn to go to the doctors. I was too stubborn to admit I was broken. I had always said no one will ever break me.
But I was broken. I let this go on for about 3 months until I almost lost my job, I lost so many friends, and I had stopped reaching out to anyone. I never asked for help.
I was pulled aside by a coworker and told that I was going to get fired unless I took time off because of stress. I didn't think it was that bad, I didn't think I was "that" person.
I dragged myself to the doctor.
Turns out I was depressed.
Turns out there was things that could help me.
Turns out there was a light at the end of the tunnel.
I just had to ask.
God, do I hate asking for help.

The thing about being a strong, stubborn, independent woman is you do go through rough patches. You do need to ask for help. You do need help sometimes. Sometimes you have to think about what's best for YOU and swallow your stubborn arrogant pride and say I NEED HELP!!!
It's ok. You're not the first person to ever say those words. Neither am I.