I have always believed that if you are able to change the way you think, you are able to change your entire life. It sounds much easier to do than it actually is - especially when your brain doesn't feel like cooperating. Let me set the scene. It's post-pandemic, and pre-my life falling apart. I was in a living with my boyfriend and our two animals. We had just purchased furniture, signed a lease, and I had gotten a great job. I was SO happy. The last thing I expected was his depression to hit an all time low. In what seemed like an instant I watched as the man I loved become a victim of his own mind. Our relationship crumbled. We went our separate ways (and so did our animals). I took on a surprising amount of debt and scrambled to cover the cost of my apartment. My internship ended. And soon I realized depression had singlehandedly changed my entire life. I understand more about mental health now than I ever could have in the past. Where I once felt anger, I now feel compassion. I feel sadness. I feel guilt. Because I know he would have given anything for our life to stay the same. Sometimes, your brain just isn't feeling it. Luckily, our downfall had some silver linings. He sought help and has grown tremendously as a result. I have learned to better identify depression and how I can empathize with and support those who experience it. I work in a corrections setting and consistently am able to demonstrate compassion and patience with clients who I may have viewed differently before. I am so grateful to have loved, lost, and grown. My experience with mental health has allowed me to see my own strength and realize that our worst times do not define us.