A lot of the time you’ll hear people say, “I have depression.” But depression isn’t really something you have—like the flu or a broken arm. It’s more like a feeling, something you go through. A better way to look at it is, “I feel depressed.”

Feelings come and go—we’re not always happy, angry, or stressed, and the same goes for feeling depressed. Sometimes it sticks around longer or feels heavier, but it doesn’t define who you are.

When you start to see depression as a feeling rather than something you own, it can take some of the power away from it. Instead of just trying to “fix” or “cure” it, it’s about looking at what’s behind those feelings—work stress, past experiences, relationships, or whatever else might be weighing you down.

Getting to the root of it helps you understand yourself better, take some of the load off, and start moving forward with less of that heavy weight on your shoulders