I love when people are supportive when it comes to mental illness. But I keep getting barraged with comments like “don’t feel bad when you need to take breaks” or “don’t feel guilty that you’re taking time to heal”. But these comments make me feel really misunderstood. Of course I feel guilty; I’m constantly disappointed in myself, especially when it comes to my mental health. I’m guilty because guilt is a symptom of my depression. So when people tell me to not feel guilty, it’s almost like hearing “just snap out of it” rather than “it must be tough to add guilt on top of everything else”. I know people mean so well, but it’s hard to be told to change something that isn’t easily changeable.