I was 15 when I first noticed something was wrong. I’d walk into a room and forget why. I’d reread the same sentence five times and still not absorb it. My thoughts felt foggy, like I was underwater. I told my parents, but they said I was just tired or distracted. I believed them—until the fog became my reality. I started failing classes I used to ace. Friends drifted away. I couldn’t explain what was happening, because I didn’t understand it myself. I felt broken. But I kept going, hoping it would pass. It didn’t. It got worse.
One day, I forgot my own birthday. Not the date—but the feeling. I stared at the cake, the candles, the people singing, and felt nothing. That scared me more than anything. I wasn’t sad. I wasn’t happy. I was just… blank. I realized then that something deeper was wrong.
I started researching. Depression came up, but I didn’t feel “sad.” I wasn’t crying or hopeless. I was just numb. Eventually, I found a post describing “cognitive symptoms of depression”—brain fog, memory loss, disconnection. It was like someone had written my diary. I cried for the first time in months.
I told my parents again. This time, I showed them the article. They listened. We saw a doctor. I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder. It wasn’t laziness. It wasn’t distraction. It was my brain misfiring. That diagnosis didn’t fix everything, but it gave me a name. And names have power.
Therapy helped. Medication helped. But what helped most was knowing I wasn’t alone. That others had walked through the fog and found light. I started journaling, tracking my thoughts, celebrating small wins—like remembering why I walked into a room.
Now, I’m 22. I still have foggy days. But I also have clear ones. I’ve learned to be patient with my brain. To treat it like a wounded friend, not a broken machine. Healing isn’t linear. But it’s possible.
I share my story because someone out there is 15, confused, and scared. I want them to know: you’re not lazy. You’re not broken. You’re not alone. Your brain is lying to you—but you can fight back.
