I Love God, but sis I needed Help too.

 💜 Becoming Her: Sis, Let’s Talk About Depression

Sis, let’s talk about something we don’t always talk about enough.

Depression.

So many of us struggle with it quietly.

I do too.

I struggled for years before I finally decided to seek help last year.

For a long time, I just kept going.

I went to work.
I took care of what needed to be taken care of.
I showed up for people.
I smiled.
I served.
I prayed.

And from the outside, I probably looked okay.

But being able to function doesn’t always mean you’re okay.

I Thought I Could Handle It

Sometimes when you’re the person everybody depends on, you get used to pushing your own feelings to the side.

You tell yourself:

“I’ll be okay.”

“I just need to pray more.”

“I just need some rest.”

“Other people have it worse.”

So you keep moving.

But sis, eventually I had to realize that I needed help too.

And seeking help did not mean I didn’t trust God.

That was something I had to learn.

I could pray AND seek help.

I could have faith AND talk to someone.

I could love God deeply and still admit that mentally, I wasn’t okay.

Those things can exist in the same sentence.

Faith Doesn’t Mean Pretending

Sometimes, especially as women of faith, we feel like we’re supposed to pray everything away.

And yes, sis, PRAY.

Prayer has carried me through some things I can’t even explain.

But I also believe God places people and resources in our lives to help us.

Seeking professional help doesn’t cancel your faith.

Sometimes asking for help is one of the strongest things you can do.

Last year, I finally made that decision for myself.

And no, that didn’t mean everything suddenly became perfect.

Healing doesn’t always happen overnight.

Some days are still harder than others.

But I stopped pretending that I had to carry everything alone.

Check on the Woman Who Keeps Showing Up

This is why I’m learning not to assume somebody is okay just because they’re functioning.

The woman posting encouraging messages could be struggling.

The woman taking care of everybody else could be struggling.

The woman laughing the loudest could be struggling.

The woman sitting beside you at church praising God could be struggling.

Sometimes depression doesn’t look the way we expect it to look.

So check on your people.

And don’t just say, “How are you?”

Sometimes ask:

“No, really… how are YOU?”

Then give them space to answer honestly.

Becoming Her Includes Taking Care of Her

My Becoming Her journey isn’t only about purpose, confidence, serving, or becoming successful.

It’s also about taking care of me.

My mind matters.

My peace matters.

My emotional well-being matters.

And sis, yours does too.

There is no prize for suffering silently.

You don’t have to wait until you’re completely overwhelmed before you tell somebody you’re struggling.

And you don’t have to feel ashamed for needing support.

Sis, Please Choose You Too

Maybe you’ve been the strong one for everybody.

Maybe you’re exhausted from pretending.

Maybe you’ve been telling everybody “I’m fine” when you know you’re not.

Give yourself permission to be honest.

Pray.

Talk to someone you trust.

And when you need more support, reach out to a qualified mental-health professional.

You deserve space to talk about what you’re carrying.

For years, I struggled before finally seeking help.

Today, I can say this without shame:

Getting help was part of my Becoming Her journey too.

Because Becoming Her isn’t pretending everything is okay.

Sometimes Becoming Her sounds like:

“God, I trust You… and I also recognize that I need help.”

Sis, take care of your mind the same way you take care of everybody else.

Keep praying.

Keep healing.

Keep choosing yourself.

And keep Becoming Her. 💜

— Tatianna E. Williams | The Becoming Her Blog