When you have depression (or anxiety or another mental health issue), it's extremely common for your mind to distort things and make you believe that you're a burden.
And, one reason is because depression can lead you to:
- Over-identify with your struggle, and use it as evidence to draw negative conclusions about yourself.
- Similarly, depression can cause you to discount / filter out so many positive things about yourself, and render you completely unaware of them.
So, in this blog post, we'd like to share with you 20 reasons why you are NOT a burden - in order to help bring awareness to some of these positive things that depression may be blinding you to.
We encourage you to take a moment to really sit with each of these points, and try to remember a time in your life when you have done these things. This is really important, because your instant reaction may be to reject-, dismiss-, or minimise them - however, if you take the time to recognise these positives in you, then it'll be a big step forward in your mental health journey.
20 Reasons Why You Are NOT A Burden
- You’re kind to others
- You're generous with the time and energy you give to others
- You're respectful of others' differences
- You treat others with respect
- You have a big heart and are empathetic towards others
- You’re caring and considerate
- You’re reliable and there when others are in need
- You’re accepting of others
- You're thoughtful
- You're encouraging of small improvements others make
- You're honest and true to your word
- You're polite and courteous
- You’re calm and patient with others
- You're sincere
- You're trustworthy
- You uplift others when they’re down
- You’re adaptable with others
- You’re faithful and loyal
- You are gentle and nurturing
Once again, our friend: you are NOT a burden. If your mind is telling you that you are, then it is lying to you.
All our love,
The Depression Project Team.
P.S. If you struggle with the negative thought "I'm a burden", then we think you'll find one of our cognitive behavioural therapy journals really helpful in particular:
