Depression around my Birthday

By: Essa (MerESSAmaid)

Birthday are usually a day that people really look forward to. But I know that some people really dread them and become depressed when they are right around the corner. I myself am one of those people that get anxious and depressed around my birthday. I am going to try and explain why I think this happens and how I plan on stopping the things that usually happen for me this year.

When my birthday is around the corner I get really excited but I also get really nervous. Ever since my 18th birthday it has become something excited and dreadful all at the same time. I never thought I would make it to my 18th birthday and when I did I was excited but surprised at the same time. So ever since then I usually become depressed and most of the time end up on a 51/50 around, on or after it.

I was talking to my therapist the other day about this, and we explored the reasons on why I think this happens. I have come to the conclusion that it is because I expect more out of the day then I usually get. I usually don’t have friends to celebrate my birthday with, and every year it seems like I get less and less birthday wishes. I always hope that my best friend who is like a sister to me will say happy birthday, but she usually doesn’t and that really disappoints me. See birthdays for me used to be big pool parties with friends and once I got older they would include sleep overs. But now that I am older I usually do not do anything for my birthday besides a birthday dinner and cake.

You know how you always look forward to your birthday presents? I know I do, but since I have gotten older I am usually the one that picks them out, so I know exactly what I am getting. I always hope that there will be at least one surprise present but most of the time there isn’t. So, this is another thing that I make a big deal out of but it usually never turns out to be a big deal at all.

I usually get so depressed that I do not know how to handle it and get suicidal and end up on a 51/50 hold. This year I plan on making sure that, that doesn’t happen. So, I have put plans into place. My mom has taken the day off work, so we are going to have a mommy/daughter day, while my sister stays with my grandparents, because she usually ends up ruining the day for me in some way. I don’t really know what we are going to do, but I was thinking about maybe going to the zoo since we have free tickets. after I spend most of the day with her, we are going to come home have my birthday dinner and cake. The days after my birthday I am going to try and make the days as normal as possible and keep myself busy.

I really hope this works and I can stay out of the hospital. If this happens to you around your birthday my advice to you would be, is try and make plans on your birthday so you know exactly what you are going to do that way you won’t be disappointed. I would also suggest spending time with the people you love, and surround yourself with love and support from family members and friends. Do not get so hung up on how many happy birthdays you get on your FB or any other social media. Just try to enjoy the day.

So this is how I plan on not going into a depression and ending up in the hospital for my birthday.

Birthdays are usually a day that people really look forward to. But I know that some people really dread them and become depressed when they are right around the corner. I myself am one of those people that get anxious and depressed around my birthday. I am going to try and explain why I think this happens and how I plan on stopping the things that usually happen for me this time of year this year.

When my birthday is around the corner I get really (Jenna: Might consider using a different word since you used really twice in the same sentence) excited but I also get really nervous. Ever since my 18th birthday it has become something excitinged and dreadful all at the same time (Jenna: There might be a way to reword this so it flows better. Hopefully someone else will be able to provide some insight on how to reword it or if it's fine as it is). I never thought I would make it to my 18th birthday and when I did I was excited but surprised at the same time. So ever since then I usually become depressed and most of the time end up on a 51/50 around, on or after it.

I was talking to my therapist the other day about this, and we explored the reasons on why I think this happens. I have come to the conclusion that it is because I expect more out of the day then I usually get (Jenna: I feel like this doesn't flow well. Maybe something like "I expect more from the day and I end up being let down by those expectations? Someone else could probably provide something better to use). I usually don’t have friends to celebrate my birthday with, and every year it seems like I get less and less birthday wishes (Jenna: It might help if you elaborate on what you mean by birthday wishes. I think I get what you are saying in that you have certain things you hope for) . I always hope that my best friend who is like a sister to me will say happy birthday, but she usually doesn’t and that really disappoints me. See birthdays for me used to be big pool parties with friends and once I got older they would include sleep overs. But now that I am older I usually do not do anything for my birthday besides a birthday dinner and cake.

You know how you always look forward to your birthday presents? I know I do, but Ssince I have gotten older I am usually the one that picks them out, so I know exactly what I am getting. I always hope that there will be at least one surprise present but most of the time there isn’t. So, this is another thing that I make a big deal out of but it usually never turns out to be a big deal at all.

I usually get so depressed that I do not know how to handle it and get suicidal and end up on a 51/50 hold. This year I plan on making sure that, that doesn’t happen. So, I have put plans into place. My mom has taken the day off work, so we are going to have a mommy/daughter day, while my sister stays with my grandparents, because she usually ends up ruining the day for me in some way. I don’t really know what we are going to do, but I was thinking about maybe going to the zoo since we have free tickets. after I spend most of the day with her, we are going to come home and have my birthday dinner and cake. The days after my birthday I am going to try and make the days as normal as possible and keep myself busy.

I really hope this works and I can stay out of the hospital. If this happens to you around your birthday my advice to you would be, is try and make plans on your birthday so you know exactly what you are going to do that way you won’t be disappointed. I would also suggest spending time with the people you love, and surround yourself with love and support from family members and friends. Do not get so hung up on how many happy birthdays you get on your FB or any other social media. Just try to enjoy the day.

So this is how I plan on not going into a depression and ending up in the hospital for my birthday.


EDIT: I was able to make some edits. Most of the words in orange are mainly in orange because it seemed like you used them a bit more and it might be good to try and change some of those words.

Thanks for posting this, Essa! I will suggest some edits after you look over Jenna's. I know all of the colors can be confusing so let us know if you have any questions.

Depression around my Birthday

By: Essa (MerESSAmaid)

Birthdays are usually a day that people really look forward to. But I know that some people really dread them and become depressed when they are coming up. I myself am one of those people that get anxious and depressed when my birthday is coming up. I am going to try and explain why I think this happens and how I plan on stopping the things that usually happen for me this time of year.

When my birthday is coming around I get excited but I also get ]nervous. Ever since my 18th birthday it has become something I have mixed feelings about I never thought I would make it to my 18th birthday and when I did I was excited but surprised at the same time. There for ever since then I usually become depressed and most of the time end up on a 51/50 when this time of year comes.

I was talking to my therapist the other day about this, and we explored the reasons on why I think this happens. I have come to the conclusion that it is because I expect more from the day and I end up being let down by those expectations. I usually don’t have friends to celebrate my birthday with, and every year it seems like I get less and less people wishing me happy birthday . I always hope that my best friend who is like a sister to me will say happy birthday, but she usually doesn’t and that really disappoints me. See birthdays for me used to be big pool parties with friends and once I got older they would include sleep overs. But now that I am older I usually do not do anything for my birthday besides a birthday dinner and cake.

You know how you always look forward to your birthday presents? Since I have gotten older I am usually the one that picks them out, so I know exactly what I am getting. I always hope that there will be at least one surprise present but most of the time there isn’t. So, this is another thing that I make a big deal out of but it usually never turns out to be a big deal at all.

I usually get so depressed that I do not know how to handle it and get suicidal and end up on a 51/50 hold. This year I plan on making sure that, that doesn’t happen. I think I have put some good plans into place. My mom has taken the day off work, since she is off we are going to have a mommy/daughter day, while my sister stays with my grandparents, because she usually ends up ruining the day for me in some way. We are going to be going to the zoo, since we have free tickets, plus I have been wanting to go for a while now.After I spend most of the day with her, we are going to come home and have my birthday dinner and cake. The days after my birthday I am going to try and make them as normal as possible and keep myself busy.

I really hope this works and I can stay out of the hospital. If this happens to you my advice to you would be, try and make plans on your birthday so you know exactly what you are going to do that way you won’t be disappointed. I would also suggest spending time with the people you love, and surround yourself with love and support from family members and friends. Do not get so hung up on how many happy birthdays you get on your social media accounts. Just try to enjoy the day.

This is how I plan on not going into a depression and ending up in the hospital for my birthday.


I have corrected the stuff you have suggested and I also did some corrections of my own that I thought would work better.

Depression around my Birthday

By: Essa (MerESSAmaid)

[Cassie: I noticed you used the word "usually" a lot. I put those mentions in orange. To change it up, could you use some synonyms? If you're stuck for ideas you can try "typically" "mostly" "normally" or "most of the time". If you don't want to change them all, you can also delete a few uses of "usually" entirely.]

Birthdays are usually a day that people really look forward to. But However, I know that some people really dread them and become depressed when they are coming up. I myself am one of those people that get anxious and depressed when my birthday is coming up. I am going to try and explain why I think this happens and how I plan on stopping the things that usually happen for me this time of year.

When my birthday is coming around I get excited but I also get ]nervous. Ever since my 18th birthday it has become something I have mixed feelings about; I never thought I would make it to my 18th birthday and when I did I was excited but surprised at the same time. Therefore, ever since then I usually become depressed and most of the time end up on a 51/50 [Cassie: Could you explain what this is for people who are unfamiliar those who may not have been to a hospital for mental health reasons before?]when this time of year comes.

I was talking to my therapist the other day about this, and we explored the reasons on why I think this happens. I have come to the conclusion that it is because I expect more from the day and I end up being let down by those expectations. I usually don’t have friends to celebrate my birthday with, and every year it seems like I get less and less people wishing me a happy birthday. I always hope that my best friend who is like a sister to me will say happy birthday, but she usually doesn’t and that really disappoints me. See, birthdays for me used to be big pool parties with friends and once I got older they would include sleepovers. But now that I am older I usually do not do anything for my birthday besides a birthday dinner and cake.

You know how you always look forward to your birthday presents? Since I have gotten older I am usually the one that picks them out, so I know exactly what I am getting. I always hope that there will be at least one surprise present but most of the time there isn’t. So, this is another thing that I make a big deal out of but it usually never turns out to be a big deal at all.

I usually get so depressed that I do not know how to handle it and get suicidal and end up on a 51/50 hold. This year I plan on making sure that, that doesn’t happen. I think I have put some good plans into place. My mom has taken the day off work;, since she is off we are going to have a mommy/daughter day, while my sister stays with my grandparents, because she usually ends up ruining the day for me in some way. We are going to be going to the zoo, since we have free tickets, plus and I have been wanting to go for a while now. After I spend most of the day with her, we are going to come home and have my birthday dinner and cake. The days after my birthday I am going to try and make them as normal as possible and keep myself busy. [Cassie: Could you reword this to make it flow better?]

I really hope this works and I can stay out of the hospital. If this happens to you my advice to you would be, to try to and make plans on your birthday so you know exactly what you are going to do, that way you won’t be disappointed. I would also suggest spending time with the people you love, and surrounding yourself with love and support from family members and friends. Do not get so hung up on how many happy birthdays you get on your social media accounts. Just try to enjoy the day.

This is how I plan on not going into a depression and ending up in the hospital for my birthday. [Cassie: I don't think this can stand on its own. Could you add more to it, or maybe move it to a different area such as the second to last paragraph where it could fit better?]

Depression around my Birthday

By: Essa (MerESSAmaid)

Birthdays are normally a day that people really look forward to. However, I know that some people really dread them and become depressed when they are coming up. I myself am one of those people that get anxious and depressed when my birthday is coming up. I am going to explain why I think this happens and how I plan on stopping the things that typically happen for me this time of year.

When my birthday is coming around I get excited but I also get nervous. Ever since my 18th birthday it has become something I have mixed feelings about; I never thought I would make it to my 18th birthday and when I did I was excited but surprised at the same time. Therefore, since then I become depressed and most of the time end up on a 51/50, which is when you are put on a 72 hour hold in the psych hospital, when this time of year comes.

I was talking to my therapist the other day about this, and we explored the reasons on why I think this happens. I have come to the conclusion that it is because I expect more from the day and I end up being let down by those expectations. I don’t have friends to celebrate my birthday with, and every year it seems like I get less and less people wishing me a happy birthday. I always hope that my best friend who is like a sister to me will say happy birthday, but she typically doesn’t and that really disappoints me. See, birthdays for me used to be big pool parties with friends and once I got older they would include sleepovers. But now that I am older I do not do anything for my birthday besides a birthday dinner and cake.

You know how you always look forward to your birthday presents? Since I have gotten older most of the time I am the one that picks them out, so I know exactly what I am getting. I always hope that there will be at least one surprise present but most of the time there isn’t. So, this is another thing that I make a big deal out of but it never turns out to be a big deal at all.

I almost always get so depressed that I do not know how to handle it and get suicidal and end up on a 51/50 hold. This year I plan on making sure that, that doesn’t happen. I think I have put some good plans into place. My mom has taken the day off work; we are going to have a mommy/daughter day while my sister stays with my grandparents because she normally ends up ruining the day for me in some way. We are going to be going to the zoo since we have free tickets and I have been wanting to go for a while now. After I spend most of the day with her, we are going to come home and have my birthday dinner and cake. following my birthday, I will go back to doing the things I normally do.

I really hope this works and I can stay out of the hospital. If this happens to you my advice to you would be to try to make plans on your birthday so you know exactly what you are going to do, that way you won’t be disappointed. I would also suggest spending time with the people you love, and surrounding yourself with love and support from family members and friends. Do not get so hung up on how many happy birthdays you get on your social media accounts. Just try to enjoy the day.

This is how I plan on not going into a depression and ending up in the hospital for my birthday. [Essa: this was just to end the whole article. So I really don't know what else to say. If you have any ideas I am willing to listen.]

Oh, you could have left some of the "usually" mentions if you wanted! I just wanted to make sure we changed it up so the word wasn't used too often.

For the end, you could reiterate what you said about advice you had for people. For instance you could say "This is how I plan on not going into a depression and ending up in the hospital on my birthday. If you also struggle with depression around your birthday, try to keep yourself busy the next time it rolls around." That way it's a little longer so that one sentence doesn't have to stand alone.

Depression around my Birthday

By: Essa (MerESSAmaid)

Birthdays are normally a day that people really look forward to. However, I know that some people really dread them and become depressed when they are coming up. I myself am one of those people that get anxious and depressed when my birthday is coming up. I am going to explain why I think this happens and how I plan on stopping the things that typically happen for me this time of year.

When my birthday is coming around I get excited but I also get nervous. Ever since my 18th birthday it has become something I have mixed feelings about; I never thought I would make it to my 18th birthday and when I did I was excited but surprised at the same time. Therefore, since then I become depressed and most of the time end up on a 51/50, which is when you are put on a 72 hour hold in the psych hospital, when this time of year comes.

I was talking to my therapist the other day about this, and we explored the reasons on why I think this happens. I have come to the conclusion that it is because I expect more from the day and I end up being let down by those expectations. I don’t have friends to celebrate my birthday with, and every year it seems like I get less and less people wishing me a happy birthday. I always hope that my best friend who is like a sister to me will say happy birthday, but she typically doesn’t and that really disappoints me. See, birthdays for me used to be big pool parties with friends and once I got older they would include sleepovers. But now that I am older I do not do anything for my birthday besides a birthday dinner and cake.

You know how you always look forward to your birthday presents? Since I have gotten older most of the time I am the one that picks them out, so I know exactly what I am getting. I always hope that there will be at least one surprise present but most of the time there isn’t. So, this is another thing that I make a big deal out of but it never turns out to be a big deal at all.

I almost always get so depressed that I do not know how to handle it and get suicidal and end up on a 51/50 hold. This year I plan on making sure that, that doesn’t happen. I think I have put some good plans into place. My mom has taken the day off work; we are going to have a mommy/daughter day while my sister stays with my grandparents because she normally ends up ruining the day for me in some way. We are going to be going to the zoo since we have free tickets and I have been wanting to go for a while now. After I spend most of the day with her, we are going to come home and have my birthday dinner and cake. following my birthday, I will go back to doing the things I normally do.

I really hope this works and I can stay out of the hospital. If this happens to you my advice to you would be to try to make plans on your birthday so you know exactly what you are going to do, that way you won’t be disappointed. I would also suggest spending time with the people you love, and surrounding yourself with love and support from family members and friends. Do not get so hung up on how many happy birthdays you get on your social media accounts. Just try to enjoy the day.

This is how I plan on not going into a depression and ending up in the hospital for my birthday. If you face this struggle of becoming depressed around your birthday, Try and keep yourself busy when it rolls around.

is there anything else I can do to edit this before it is published?

Birthdays are normally a day that people really look forward to. However, I know that some people really dread them and become depressed when they are coming up. I myself am one of those people that get anxious and depressed when my birthday is coming up. I am going to explain why I think this happens and how I plan on stopping the things that typically happen for me this time of year.

When my birthday is coming around I get excited but I also get nervous. Ever since my 18th birthday it has become something I have mixed feelings about; I never thought I would make it to my 18th birthday and when I did I was excited but surprised at the same time. Therefore, since then I become depressed and most of the time end up on a 51/50, which is when you are put on a 72 hour hold in the psych hospital, when this time of year comes.

I was talking to my therapist the other day about this, and we explored the reasons on why I think this happens. I have come to the conclusion that it is because I expect more from the day and I end up being let down by those expectations. I don’t have friends to celebrate my birthday with, and every year it seems like I get less and less people wishing me a happy birthday. I always hope that my best friend who is like a sister to me will say happy birthday, but she typically doesn’t and that really disappoints me. See, birthdays for me used to be big pool parties with friends and once I got older they would include sleepovers. But now that I am older I do not do anything for my birthday besides a birthday dinner and cake.

You know how you always look forward to your birthday presents? Since I have gotten older most of the time I am the one that picks them out, so I know exactly what I am getting. I always hope that there will be at least one surprise present but most of the time there isn’t. So, this is another thing that I make a big deal out of but it never turns out to be a big deal at all.

I almost always get so depressed that I do not know how to handle it and get suicidal and end up on a 51/50 hold. This year I plan on making sure that, that doesn’t happen. I think I have put some good plans into place. My mom has taken the day off work; we are going to have a mommy/daughter day while my sister stays with my grandparents because she normally ends up ruining the day for me in some way. We are going to will be going to the zoo since we have free tickets and I have been wanting to go for a while now. After I spend most of the day with her, we are going to come home and have my birthday dinner and cake. fFollowing my birthday, I will go back to doing the things I normally do.

I really hope this works and I can stay out of the hospital. If this happens to you, my advice to you would be to try to make plans on your birthday so you know exactly what you are going to do, that way you won’t be disappointed. I would also suggest spending time with the people you love, and surrounding yourself with love and support from family members and friends. Do Try not to get so hung up on how many happy birthdays you get on your social media accounts. Just try to enjoy the day.

This is how I plan on not going into a depression and ending up in the hospital for my birthday. If you face this struggle of becoming depressed around your birthday, Ttry and keep yourself busy when it rolls around.

Sorry for adding to the edits, I didn't realise Haley was working on the article at the same time.

Birthdays are normally a day that people really look forward to. However, I know that some people really dread them and become depressed when they are coming up. I myself am one of those people that get anxious and depressed when my birthday is coming up. I am going to explain why I think this happens and how I plan on stopping the things that typically happen for me this time of year.

When my birthday is coming around I get excited but I also get nervous. Ever since my 18th birthday it has become something I have mixed feelings about; I never thought I would make it to my 18th birthday and when I did I was excited but surprised at the same time. Therefore, since then I become depressed and most of the time end up on a 51/50, which is when you are put on a 72 hour hold in the psych hospital, when this time of year comes.

I was talking to my therapist the other day about this, and we explored the reasons on why I think this happens. I have come to the conclusion that it is because I expect more from the day and I end up being let down by those expectations. I don’t have friends to celebrate my birthday with, and every year it seems like I get less fewer and less fewer people wishing me a happy birthday. I always hope that my best friend who is like a sister to me will say happy birthday, but she typically doesn’t and that really disappoints me. See, birthdays for me used to be big pool parties with friends and once I got older they would include sleepovers. But now that I am older I do not do anything for my birthday besides a birthday dinner and cake.

You know how you always look forward to your birthday presents? [I would recommend rephrasing this to something more like ''Many people look forward to receiving presents on their birthday'' since there are probably going to be readers who, for one reason or another, don't always look forward to their birthday presents.] Since I have gotten older most of the time I am the one that picks them out, so I know exactly what I am getting. I always hope that there will be at least one surprise present but most of the time there isn’t. So, this is another thing that I make a big deal out of but it never turns out to be a big deal at all. [This doesn't seem very clear. Do you mean that this is another situation where you have expectations that never seem to be met?]

I almost always get so depressed that I do not know how to handle it and get suicidal and end up on a 51/50 hold. This year I plan on making sure that, that doesn’t happen. [This might work better if you phrases it more like ''making sure that I avoid this''.] I think I have put some good plans into place. Since Mmy mom has taken the day off work;, we are going to have a mommy/daughter day while my sister stays with my grandparents because she normally ends up ruining the day for me in some way. We are going to be going to the zoo since we have free tickets and I have been wanting to go for a while now. After I spend most of the day with her, we are going to come home and have my birthday dinner and cake. fFollowing my birthday, I will go back to doing the things I normally do. [This still doesn't seem to flow all that well. Maybe you could say something like ''I will go back to my regular routine''?]

I really hope this works and I can stay out of the hospital. If this happens to you my advice to you would be to try to make plans on your birthday so you know exactly what you are going to do, that way you won’t be disappointed. [It might be a good idea to mention something about not being too hung up on the details in case the day still doesn't go exactly as you planned.] I would also suggest spending time with the people you love, and surrounding yourself with love and support from family members and friends. Do not get so hung up on how many happy birthdays you get on your social media accounts. Just try to enjoy the day. [Could you add some advice for people who may not be able to spend time with loved ones on the day? You could mention how to have a good day if you spend it on your own and that it might be beneficial to plan events with loved ones for another day so you have something to look forward to.]

This is how I plan on not going into a depression and ending up in the hospital for my birthday. If you face this struggle of becoming depressed around your birthday, Ttry and keep yourself busy when it rolls around. [Could you also mention something about lowering your expectations so you're not disappointed, or making sure you're in charge of the day so that you have control over how it turns out?]

Hey Essa, how are you feeling about these suggestions?

Just everytime I look at the last two I get overwhelemed. I will try and get them done soon. I just can't do it right now. I'm not ignoring it though. It will be done this week.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, would you like me to incorporate some of the suggestions for you? If you approve of them, I can do them and then make some suggestions for the blue and orange parts based on what Chess and Haley have said.

Olay sure.

I have incorporated the suggestions. As for the orange ones, I rewrote some per Chess' suggestions but I did leave the original sentence in there so you can see the difference (the original and rewrites are all in orange).

Depression around my birthday

By Essa (MerESSAmaid)

Birthdays are normally a day that people really look forward to. However, I know that some people really dread them and become depressed when they are coming up. I myself am one of those people that get anxious and depressed when my birthday is coming up. I am going to explain why I think this happens and how I plan on stopping the things that typically happen for me this time of year.

When my birthday is coming around I get excited but I also get nervous. Ever since my 18th birthday it has become something I have mixed feelings about; I never thought I would make it to my 18th birthday and when I did I was excited but surprised at the same time. Therefore, since then I become depressed and most of the time end up on a 51/50, which is when you are put on a 72 hour hold in the psych hospital, when this time of year comes.

I was talking to my therapist the other day about this, and we explored the reasons on why I think this happens. I have come to the conclusion that it is because I expect more from the day and I end up being let down by those expectations. I don’t have friends to celebrate my birthday with, and every year it seems like I getfewer and fewer people wishing me a happy birthday. I always hope that my best friend who is like a sister to me will say happy birthday, but she typically doesn’t and that really disappoints me. See, birthdays for me used to be big pool parties with friends and once I got older they would include sleepovers. But now that I am older I do not do anything for my birthday besides a birthday dinner and cake.

Many people look forward to receiving presents on their birthday.[I would recommend rephrasing this to something more like ''Many people look forward to receiving presents on their birthday'' since there are probably going to be readers who, for one reason or another, don't always look forward to their birthday presents.] Since I have gotten older most of the time I am the one that picks them out, so I know exactly what I am getting. I always hope that there will be at least one surprise present but most of the time there isn’t. So, this is another expectation I have that isn't often met. thing that I make a big deal out of but it never turns out to be a big deal at all. [This doesn't seem very clear. Do you mean that this is another situation where you have expectations that never seem to be met?]

I almost always get so depressed that I do not know how to handle it and get suicidal and end up on a 51/50 hold. This year I plan on making sure that, I avoid this. that doesn’t happen. [This might work better if you phrases it more like ''making sure that I avoid this''.] I think I have put some good plans into place. Since my mom has taken the day off work, we are going to have a mommy/daughter day while my sister stays with my grandparents because she normally ends up ruining the day for me in some way. We will be going to the zoo since we have free tickets and I have been wanting to go for a while now. After I spend most of the day with her, we are going to come home and have my birthday dinner and cake. Following my birthday, I will go back to my regular routine. I will go back to doing the things I normally do. [This still doesn't seem to flow all that well. Maybe you could say something like ''I will go back to my regular routine''?]

I really hope this works and I can stay out of the hospital. If this happens to you my advice would be to try to make plans on your birthday so you know exactly what you are going to do, that way you won’t be disappointed. It may help if you pay less attention to the details so you are not let down if the day doesn't go exactly the way you planned. [It might be a good idea to mention something about not being too hung up on the details in case the day still doesn't go exactly as you planned.] I would also suggest spending time with the people you love, and surrounding yourself with love and support from family members and friends. Try not to get so hung up on how many happy birthdays you get on your social media accounts. Just try to enjoy the day. If you can't spend time with people, treat yourself. For example, you could practice self-soothe techniques or do something you're interested in such as seeing a movie. Making plans for the days following your birthday could help give you something to look forward to as you're getting back into your normal routine.[Could you add some advice for people who may not be able to spend time with loved ones on the day? You could mention how to have a good day if you spend it on your own and that it might be beneficial to plan events with loved ones for another day so you have something to look forward to.]

This is how I plan on not going into a depression and ending up in the hospital for my birthday. If you face this struggle of becoming depressed around your birthday, try and keep yourself busy when it rolls around. Lowering your expectations so you are not disappointed could help reduce or prevent negative feelings. [Could you also mention something about lowering your expectations so you're not disappointed, or making sure you're in charge of the day so that you have control over how it turns out?]

Thank you that looks good. Sorry I just got too over whelemd. Thanks for helping.

Since you said it looks good I am going to remove the original orange pieces and replace them with the rewrites.

And that's okay. Sometimes editing can be overwhelming!

Depression around my birthday

By Essa (MerESSAmaid)

Birthdays are normally a day that people really look forward to. However, I know that some people really dread them and become depressed when they are coming up. I myself am one of those people that get anxious and depressed when my birthday is coming up. I am going to explain why I think this happens and how I plan on stopping the things that typically happen for me this time of year.

When my birthday is coming around I get excited but I also get nervous. Ever since my 18th birthday it has become something I have mixed feelings about; I never thought I would make it to my 18th birthday and when I did I was excited but surprised at the same time. Therefore, since then I become depressed and most of the time end up on a 51/50, which is when you are put on a 72 hour hold in the psych hospital, when this time of year comes.

I was talking to my therapist the other day about this, and we explored the reasons on why I think this happens. I have come to the conclusion that it is because I expect more from the day and I end up being let down by those expectations. I don’t have friends to celebrate my birthday with, and every year it seems like I getfewer and fewer people wishing me a happy birthday. I always hope that my best friend who is like a sister to me will say happy birthday, but she typically doesn’t and that really disappoints me. See, birthdays for me used to be big pool parties with friends and once I got older they would include sleepovers. But now that I am older I do not do anything for my birthday besides a birthday dinner and cake.

Many people look forward to receiving presents on their birthday. Since I have gotten older most of the time I am the one that picks them out, so I know exactly what I am getting. I always hope that there will be at least one surprise present but most of the time there isn’t. So, this is another expectation I have that isn't often met.

I almost always get so depressed that I do not know how to handle it and get suicidal and end up on a 51/50 hold. This year I plan on making sure that I avoid this. I think I have put some good plans into place. Since my mom has taken the day off work, we are going to have a mommy/daughter day while my sister stays with my grandparents because she normally ends up ruining the day for me in some way. We will be going to the zoo since we have free tickets and I have been wanting to go for a while now. After I spend most of the day with her, we are going to come home and have my birthday dinner and cake. Following my birthday, I will go back to my regular routine.

I really hope this works and I can stay out of the hospital. If this happens to you my advice would be to try to make plans on your birthday It may help if you pay less attention to the details so you are not let down if the day doesn't go exactly the way you planned. I would also suggest spending time with the people you love, and surrounding yourself with love and support from family members and friends. Try not to get so hung up on how many happy birthdays you get on your social media accounts. Just try to enjoy the day. If you can't spend time with people, treat yourself. For example, you could practice self-soothe techniques or do something you're interested in such as seeing a movie. Making plans for the days following your birthday could help give you something to look forward to as you're getting back into your normal routine.

This is how I plan on not going into a depression and ending up in the hospital for my birthday. If you face this struggle of becoming depressed around your birthday, try and keep yourself busy when it rolls around. Lowering your expectations so you are not disappointed could help reduce or prevent negative feelings.

Thank you so much

You're welcome! Does anyone else have any more suggestions?

This has been published.