Chapter 1: The Art of War With Yourself
Welcome to the War Journal.
This first episode of I'm Sad But I'm Trying introduces Volume One: The Art of War With Yourself. It’s not a self-help manual or a list of tidy coping strategies. It’s a field report from someone still in the trenches. This is a season built around one central truth: living with depression can feel like a quiet, invisible war—and this podcast is a war journal.
I’ve lived with depression for over a decade. Not just as a mood or a moment—but as a constant presence. One that whispers lies in my own voice, disguises itself as truth, and tries to convince me that this pain is permanent. But permanence is a myth. And recognizing the enemy—learning how it moves—is the first step to resisting it.
What This Episode Covers:
Why "The Art of War With Yourself" isn’t about glorifying conflict, but honoring the reality of internal struggle
The exhausting, evolving nature of depression and how it shape-shifts over time
The lie of permanence, and the dangerous myth that nothing will ever change
How familiar pain becomes part of identity—and why healing means grieving that identity
A personal reflection on therapy, sadness as a baseline, and the longing for peace over survival
A Small Try:
I invite you to reflect:
If you can, try to describe your relationship with your depression. Not clinically—just honestly. Is it a fog? A shadow? A roommate you didn’t ask for? What does it sound like? When is it loudest? When is it quiet?
There’s no pressure to fix it—just a quiet invitation to notice. Sometimes, that’s enough.
First Book Recommendation:
Before closing, I want to offer a book that helped me when I needed light: Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez. What seems like a light summer romance unfolds into something far more textured—a story that holds sadness with compassion and gently offers hope.
"It saw me. It got me. And every time I’ve read it since, it’s healed little pieces of me I didn’t know were still broken."
Coming Next Week:
Chapter Two: Know Your Enemy
A deeper exploration into recognizing the internal voice of depression—and what changes when you give it a name.
Join the Community
Follow along on Instagram @imsadbutimtryingpod, and on TikTok and YouTube at @imsadbutimtrying
Or send your own dispatch at imsadbutimtrying.com
With love from the trenches,
Still sad. Still trying.