An enormously warm welcome to you. I'm so glad you came here to find people who will be able to feel for you, people who you can express yourself freely with and folk who may be able to offer support through their own experiences.
As a 54yo gal, it took me decades to finally figure out that we should never stop being raised just because we're no longer kids. We can spend our entire life being raised in a whole variety of ways at certain times, especially deeply depressing, stressful and challenging times. When our level of consciousness is raised, our spirits are raised, our energy levels are raised etc, life can change. The question becomes 'Who is fit or able to raise me in all the ways I need them to?'. Making people conscious of the need can be the first step. From my own experience, the inner dialogue that dictates 'You should be able to raise yourself' can be of no help at all. If anything, it can interfere with progress and leave me feeling like I'm stuck alone in the middle of crossroads, with my head buried in my hands, with a sense of hopelessness and absolutely zero sense of direction.
I think one of the hardest things can involve finding the right words. Whether they be 'I'm struggling and I can't cope anymore' or 'I just don't know how to live life anymore' or 'I'm so completely lost and depressed' or something else, once the statement is out there it can come as some relief. It's the beginning of much needed change and support. Who responds in the best ways will determine who our guides or raisers are. I've found they're not the people who'll typically say 'You'll be right' or 'Everyone goes through hard times' or 'You just need to get on with life'. They're the people who'll wonder with me as to why I'm struggling so much. They're the people who will see, through their imagination, the best way forward for me when I can't see it myself. They're the people who'll share their vision with me. They're the people who'll raise me when I am down in that deep dark hole of depression. And some of the time they are the people who know what it's like to be down there. ❤️
