心里的风暴：我是不是真的在装个抑郁

记得那时候，周围的人都说我是在装病，我却无法解释那些深藏内心的痛苦。每当有人问起，我总是支吾其辞，用笑容掩盖不愿面对的真相。那时，我不知道自己到底是不是真的在装抑郁。

Suppressing the pain, I continued to put on a brave face, pretending that everything was fine. But deep down inside, the storm raged on. It wasn't until one day, when I couldn't bear it anymore and broke down in tears before my best friend that she finally understood what had been going on.

"你一直都是那么坚强，别人看来就像是你故意要让他们觉得你没事一样。但其实，你心里有多重的石头啊？" 她的话语如同一盏灯塔，指引着我找到回家的路。

I realized then that maybe I wasn't just "acting" depressed after all. Maybe there really were demons lurking within me, and they needed to be acknowledged and faced head-on.

The journey towards healing was long and arduous but necessary. It took time for me to learn how to accept myself for who I truly am – flaws and all – rather than trying to conform to societal expectations of strength.

And as for those around me? They learned too – about the importance of listening without judgment and offering support without condition.

In the end, it's not about whether or not you're "really" depressed; it's about being honest with yourself about your feelings and seeking help when you need it most.

I may have started out wondering if I was just faking my depression, but along the way found a newfound appreciation for vulnerability as a strength rather than weakness.

So let this be a lesson: don't hide behind masks or pretend everything is alright when it isn't. Your true self is worth embracing - every stone-laden heartache included - because only by facing them can we begin our climb towards healing together.