The way out of Depression is through Self-Expression.

The other day I was having a conversation with a close friend about creativity — not the polished, curated kind, but the deep, instinctual need we all have to express ourselves. We talked about how healing it can be — how creating is tied to expressing, and expressing is tied to being seen.

That conversation is what inspired me to write this — because the truth is, creativity isn’t a luxury or something reserved for “artistic types.” It’s a lifeline. It’s a way back to ourselves when we’ve forgotten who we are.

Something I’m really passionate about — and truly believe — is that most of the emotional and mental struggles people face come from being disconnected from who they really are. That sense of not feeling like yourself, of not knowing your place, your voice, your needs… that’s at the core of what we often label as depression, anxiety or feeling lost.

Most people who come to see me are, in some way, disconnected from themselves — feeling lost, stuck, uneasy, unsure. They’re often caught in the same patterns, the same thoughts, the same cycles that don’t reflect who they truly are, but they can’t quite see the way out. They’re exhausted by the version of themselves they’ve had to perform just to be accepted.

And when we start to unpack it, what we often find are key moments in their lives (sometimes big, sometimes subtle) — pivotal experiences where they might have been rejected, abandoned, shamed. Times where being fully themselves, or using their voice, or sharing how they really felt, came at a cost — a risk of losing love, approval, or connection. These moments become turning points, and in moments like that, especially when we’re young, we learn that to stay attached — to stay safe — we need to hide parts of ourselves. Not consciously, of course, but quietly, gradually.

And then it becomes a pattern. A way of being.
And this pattern essentially creates the conditions for depression.

The Recipe for Depression
So many people are walking around suppressing their voice, their needs, their instincts — not even because they want to, but because somewhere along the way they learned it wasn’t safe to be fully themselves. And when we do that for long enough, we forget how to access those parts of ourselves.

People end up living their lives pleasing others, trying to fit in, showing up as who they think they need to be to be accepted. And what that does over time is chip away at their stability, their sense of self. Like a chair with its legs slowly removed — it just becomes harder and harder to sit comfortably in your own life.
That, to me, is the recipe for depression.
Because what’s depression if not a disconnection from self?

Expression Heals

This is where creativity comes in. The word “express” is literally tied to creating — to letting something flow out of you. And when you’ve been silencing yourself for years, expression becomes the medicine.

It’s not about being “creative” in the traditional sense — society has kind of boxed that up and sold it to us like it’s only for certain types of people. But that’s not true. We are all born with the capacity to create. It’s part of our design. We’re not meant to live in performance mode, constantly editing ourselves to be accepted.

Creative expression allows us to:

• Reconnect with our authentic self

• Process emotions we've buried

• Communicate what words alone cannot express

• Rebuild trust in our instincts and inner wisdom

Where to Begin

I encourage starting small:

• Find what resonates: It might be writing, movement, drawing, cooking — anything that lets you express without overthinking.

• Release judgment: There’s no right or wrong here.

• Make it regular: Even brief moments of creativity build pathways back to yourself.

• Notice resistance: Because that’s often where the gold is. The places you avoid are usually the places that most need your voice.

At the end of the day, the antidote to suppression is expression.
And creativity?
It’s one of the most powerful tools we have to come home to ourselves.

Thank you Natalie for inspiring my post.

Alice