I crave validation from others yet I push away those that offer it, I claim I want to be this fit, sharp, handyman type that you can rely on, but I continue to sleep poorly, eat poorly, and not exercise. I recently learned that I am perceived by most around me as one of the happiest people they know, even questioning why they can be in a bad mood if I’m in a good one. I think I’ve just gotten so good at masking and minimizing that people are surprised to hear that I’m as depressed as I am. Do y’all have any insight or similar experiences of how you escaped this self-destructive cycle?