Dear Anna,

I want to echo the other's support as well. I must tell you that your posting was a blessing for me. You were able to put together the feelings that I struggle with severely every single day. To this moment, I find myself in a never-ending whirlwind of despair. I don't how to express this any better. It does not go away, ever. After 22+ years of fighting the pain, I am left with some lessons I had come to grips with. I had to realize that it is not my fault that I have had to fight this crap, so why do I abuse myself? Another, is that there are people who depend on me to be there for support. I had to learn that I have an obligation not only to myself, but to others who need me to be there for them. That is not to say that I still don't battle my own internal destruction. As I write this now, I am fighting it too. The final lesson is that I have to look back, as painful as it is for me, every once in a while to really see how many times have I beat these bad memories and feelings of anger, fear, severe depression, anxiety of every kind, and simply kept going. I want you to know that your posting reminded me of these lessons and to know that I am not alone. In fact, many here on Psych Central have gone through this before, and/or are still fighting right along side us. The key is that you were able to put our struggles in context. That to me, is priceless and I thank you for that. I hope that you stay strong, get help, and realize that you are not alone and that if you need support, I will be here for you. I know that the others feel the same way too. I will finish by saying that if you notice that I said - Stay Strong - I say that because I know how hard it is to reach out to anyone, especially when you are scared of what the next minute will bring. You owe it to yourself. Please take care,

David (NewDawnFades)