Have you ever been depressed? Ever struggled to keep going, with every day feeling like you are drowning in mud?

This time last year I was struggling with life. Finally I had been diagnosed for my mental health problems and undergone a course of therapy; I was living in a beautiful house with loving family members and pets; I had even made a friend, but I fell back into old habits and I was spiralling into darkness. I was exhausted both mentally and physically and I didn’t think I could go on.

However, I wasn’t quite ready to give up. One of the skills I had learned in therapy was to make a life worth living, and writing has always been that for me. Books, both reading and writing them, got me through a difficult childhood filled with chronic illness and family troubles. Several years ago when I hit a similar low point, I promised I wouldn’t do anything drastic until I had written the seven book fantasy series I had been planning since I was a child.

I haven’t written those books yet, but more about that later.

Writing was once more my lifeline. I contacted Terrie Leigh Relf, who, despite never having met in person, has become a close friend over the years I’ve submitted to the drabble contest she edits. She helped me start writing again – not just writing stories, but actually rediscovering the love of weaving tales and the joy that creativity can bring. It was difficult, but I started to feel something again. I felt nervous that this new seed of happiness would be crushed before it could grow. It needed to be nurtured and protected.

Come back tomorrow to find out what happened next.

What makes your life worth living? How do you cope when the pain of the struggle outweighs the benefits? I’d love to read your stories in the comments.