Today we’d like to introduce you to Desiree Davis.
Desiree, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My first experience with depression was the last quarter of 2013. Despite working at a behavioral health hospital and being a psychology major, I was depressed and didn’t even know it. My parents had divorced two years prior and I was estranged from my father. Then in the summer of 2013, my mother and siblings moved away to a different state. I guess the loneliness took some time to hit me but my roommate noticed and encouraged me to get some help After a bad experience with a school counselor, I took a month away from work and decided to visit my family. I thought visiting them would solve my depression but instead, I was so horrible to them. I slept in every day and when I was awake, I was cranky. Taking my pain out on them left me feeling even worse. I was too ashamed to tell anyone that I was battling something I didn’t know how to manage.
A lot of prayers got me through that episode and I ended up rushing through my last year of college just to get away from it all. In my mind, depression was a part of college and I was never going back there. Well in 2018, I met depression again, and this time it was in my workplace so college wasn’t the problem. I started sharing my experience online to let others know they are not alone. Now, five years after I swore I would never return, I’m currently pursuing a master’s degree so I can help others navigate life transitions.
Has it been a smooth road?
Do you know how hard it is to vlog about being depressed? Half the time I’m too depressed to talk about it! My biggest challenge right now is finding a therapist I like so I can control my depression instead of letting it control me.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I don’t consider myself a business… YET. I’m just a woman dealing with mental health issues and sharing my experience. Some people call it advocating, I just call it my purpose. I get so many messages from people who are touched by something I’ve said. My favorite is when people come up to me in public and open up about their experiences. If any of my posts or videos can touch someone and make them think differently about their mental health or make them more accepting of others, then my job is done.
Once I receive my license, I plan to open a private practice, host panels and expose low-income communities to mental health resources.
Contact Info:
- Email: davis.desireer@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/desiree.r.davis
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