Education And Depression
Hello Jhana’s Supporters, It’s your disability advocate and writer Jhana. I know it’s been a minute since I’ve written a blog or article. I’ve been taking 2 classes a month for the past 3 months. So I’ve been super busy with school since January. So let’s get started with this blog.
I’ve always written about people with disabilities and how we should be equal to others who don’t have a disability. But in today’s blog, I want to touch on something that I don’t usually discuss. And that is Education and Depression.
What is Depression
Depression is feeling sad and it can cause you to lose interest in doing what you love to do. There are different types of depression. I won’t give you all of the types of depression, but I am going to give you the type of depression I have and say how I cope with it when I am doing my schooling.
How depression affects my education
Depression is an everyday struggle that I have to face. I’ve struggled with depression ever since I was 16 years old. It has lasted all the way since I became an adult. In February of 2021, my uncle passed away. Back then I was at the University of Arizona Global Campus (formally known as Ashford University). After a year’s break and changing my major from Child Development to English, I decided to drop out again because it was getting too much for me especially after my uncle passed away.
There was a time when I almost quit writing. I didn’t want to pursue a writing career because I felt I wouldn’t get the same praise or the same encouragement that my uncle had given me. But I later found out what my true calling was. I remember always talking to my uncle about writing and how much I loved it. Regardless of my depression and the loss that I faced, I decided to ask around to find where I could get a creative writing degree.
I knew that I needed to make him proud. I just didn’t know how. Things didn’t go well with us. Then when he passed away, I felt empty. And that emptiness allowed me to try harder and do what I love. I think holding on to that hurt made me strong. What I’ve learned is that it’s okay to grieve, but what is not okay is to give up on something that you love. I’ve learned in order to do something that you love, you would have to do it for yourself.
I won’t lie, having depression while trying to have an education is hard. But what gets me through it, is my uncle’s memory.
