Dear friends,

You are here because you know struggle. Maybe in the past tense, maybe because you are in the trenches right now feeling your way through the darkness.

Some may know me as 296.21 (F32.1), also known as Major Depressive Disorder. The DSM code used to stress me out - I didn't want any formal evidence of my struggles, especially one that flattened my individual experiences navigating my depression.

For years, it was a source of shame. I wanted my depression to be non-clinical, I wanted no trace of it. I realized in denying F32.1, I was denying a part of myself. I am now proud to wear my F-Code on my chest, a reminder to myself of how my depression is part of my identity and how I am still here. I write today from a place of gratitude.

In Love and Sadness,

K