kate congerVerifizierter Account

Today is a good day, so it's time for a personal story. Last year I became depressed. It's hard to explain *why* and that's part of the struggle with such an illness. I would routinely feel sad and demotivated. I felt like I was doing shitty work, and I thought about death.

I lost joy in many things I would normally enjoy, including spending time with my partner and my friends, and even writing—a job that has been a lifelong dream. I realized the best way to get out of the hole was for me to take time off from work and focus on self-care.

I was lucky that everyone at Vice, including my editors @jason_koebler, @emanuelmaiberg, and the newsrooms leaders @derektmead and @katiedrumm were totally on board, and encouraging of me taking time off—even if they didn't know exactly what was going on.

I can't stress enough how important their support was. My family and friends were another huge support. And now, months later, I'm steadily getting out of the hole. It may remain a lifelong struggle, but I have better tools to face the challenge. And I have the strenght to fight.