Tomorrow is A New Day

OMHG is on a break from our usual businessy goodness and sharing Stories for Stephanie to support her recovery & fund. This story of finding hope and light in the darkness comes to us from the lovely Tori who was brave enough to share her story with us, please show her some love in the comments!

It’s hard to write this story, to be so open and honest, visiting such a dark time in my life. A time I now refer to as my “dark days.” It started with a devastating break up and learning that one of my dearest friends was killed by a drunk driver. These two incidents, happening on the same day, started my downward spiral into depression. I didn’t eat much, I cried a lot, and I slept a lot. Much of this time was a blur marked with sadness. I just remember the darkness.

It all came to blows after a night of drinking with friends. I was overly emotional, and I wanted everyone around me to feel as bad as I did. My roommate at the time had stood by me through this crazy time, and what did I do? I yelled at her, screamed at her, and told her that she wasn’t a very good friend. I should have been saying these things to myself. I woke up the next morning and it was like a switch had been flipped. I knew I needed help.

I made an appointment with a doctor that very day and my road to recovery began. During this time, my friends and family were there for me every step of the way, even the friends I hadn’t been so nice to during my “dark days.” I will forever feel indebted to the friends who called just to ask how I was doing, the friend who drove an hour to see me because she could hear the struggle in my voice.

My poor family, especially my mom. She could see me struggle and wanted so badly to fix the hurt, but she knew it was something I had to fix for myself that I needed to make the decision to get help when I was ready. My aunt, my grandma, my sister, they all checked in on me to make sure I was ok. As much as I hate this time of my life, it made me realize how loved I was and still am. It made me realize that my worth is so much more than heartache and that I owe it to myself and my loved ones to be healthy and happy.

Looking back even before my “dark days,” I now realize that my struggle with depression and anxiety started long before that awful day in January. It’s now been 5 years, and I am happy to say that my mental health is in a far better place. While I no longer struggle with depression, my anxiety still lingers. I have it under control, but I still have bad days. But, on those bad days, I remember that a bad day doesn’t mean I have a bad life and that tomorrow is a new day.

No matter where you are in life, please know that there are people that love you, that want to see you happy. Lean on those people when times are tough. I think they were onto something when they said it takes a village to raise a child. We may not be children anymore, but our villages are there to support us. And, remember, everyone is fighting their own battle, so be kind to everyone you meet.

If you know someone who is struggling, please don’t judge them, just love them.

MEET TORI

Hi, I’m Tori! I am a social media coordinator by day, and a DIY/Lifestyle blogger by night. Join me as I navigate my journey through life, one DIY adventure at a time!