Many have called depression a silent killer, but writer and singer Fayth Hope is bringing voice to her silent struggles. Even as a mental health counselor, the Birmingham, AL resident learned the value of seeking support outside of herself. Here, she shares her story with BlackDoctor.org in her own words.
Two years ago, I wrote on Instagram and Facebook, “After 3+ years, I’m officially off high blood pressure medicine!! Yay Vegetarianism!! God is good!!” However, my celebration only lasted a few months because once again, my blood pressure began spiking and I had to return to medication. And to add to the mixture, I was slowly regaining the weight I had recently lost during my healthy lifestyle change…and I couldn’t figure out why.
I internalized these occurrences, colored myself as a failure. All of the hard work had flown out the window and was slipping even further from my grasp as the days continued to go by. No matter how hard I tried, I could not pump the breaks.
One year later, I was 20 pounds heavier…in the hips and in the heart. Not only did my weight creep up on me, so did my old friend – Depression.
