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Get HelpOkay, so I have a confession to make that will surprise a few of my friends.
I love crying through emotional talent show auditions on YouTube. Yeah, it’s weird. I’m not even a fan of crying. I think it’s healthy to cry, but I don’t particularly enjoy it, and I try to avoid it at almost every turn.
But on occasion, I’ll start flipping through some past auditions from one country or another, and then it happens. That, and reruns of Scrubs are the only times I find myself crying like a baby, and I’m totally okay with it. It’s weird, I know but I’m a sucker for it.
The other day I came across a particularly inspiring clip, and I thought you might get something out of it too.
Singer, Anna Clendening suffers from severe depression and anxiety. Not to let it stop her, she used therapy to help. Her condition improved, but like many of us, the depression came back even stronger and, this time, it knocked her down hard.
“It felt like my mind had given up on me…”
She didn’t know how to bring herself out of it. The therapy wasn’t working as it had before.
“…I just didn’t want to be here anymore.”
Thankfully, she had the support of her parents and her love of music. Both gave her strength when she didn’t have anything left inside her.
6.7 percent of American adults have depression; that’s 14.8 million people.
In the clip below, host Howie Mandel admits to struggling with depression too.
“There isn’t anybody alive who doesn’t need help at some point coping.” – Howie Mandel
When things were at their worst Anna, like me, was bed ridden.
Leaving her room or even her house was out of the question. She didn’t have the energy, the desire, to lift herself out of her bed and as a result, she couldn’t work to support herself.
But Anna’s story isn’t over.
Anna kept fighting her depression. She didn’t give up, and she overcame her depression enough to get on stage at America’s Got Talent.
And boy did she leave her mark.
Just watch the video below, she’s so sweet you just want to root for her. More than her voice, I love her honesty. On stage, she’s shy about her situation as any of us would be. But she’s honest. She’s clear about what she has, and knows what’s she’s already overcome. I see the confidence in her struggle.
I just want to say one last thing before you watch the clip. If you love someone who struggles with depression or anxiety, please watch this video and understand something.
Anna has supportive parents who think they can’t make it better. They love her and just want her not to hurt anymore, but they don’t believe that they can make a difference. In fact, they seemed just as hopeless as she felt at times.
But, when asked how she was able to get out on stage despite her illness, she credits her parents as being her source of strength.
Don’t think that you can’t make an impact on your loved one. Keep supporting them, keep encouraging them, don’t give up. Your love does matter, and it will make a difference.
Enjoy the video and celebrate another one of us who overcame depression long enough to thrive.
Adam Weitz is a multi-discipline designer, business owner, and founder of Sad Runner. He is passionate about encouraging people with depression and works through Sad Runner to positively impact their lives.
