Pretending everything is okay and keeping my struggles inside caused my depression. For years, I hid my pain, pretended things didn’t happen, or acted like they didn’t bother me—especially my rape. That suppression weighed me down and darkened my spirit. But honesty, even about the most uncomfortable topics, brings a different kind of power: joy 🥲 and freedom. Speaking the truth doesn’t erase the pain, but it lifts the burden of hiding it, and that’s where real healing begins.