Always Keep Fighting

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Just want to say thanks for all you’ve done and are doing for us all. If it wasn’t for you, I literally would not be here to type this as last week I was so depressed I almost gave up the fight. But as I was about to pass out you came to my brain and I knew I had to keep fighting. Sorry to anyone if this has upset you but I had to say it. Words don’t do justice to how I feel now. And it’s with appreciation that I have found a great friend who is helping me as I am helping her to Always Keep Fighting. We maybe in different countries and twenty years apart in age but thanks to you Jared, we’re both still here. We made a pact to Keep Fighting together. Sorry for rambling on but I’m just one of many who owe their lives to you and the work you do. #AKF #Thanks #Love — ilostmyshoe78

Hi, I'm Sam and Always Keep Fighting is the reason I'm still alive today. Since I was 6 I struggled with abuse, trauma, self harm and depression because of really bad stuff that happened to me for a while around then. A lot of it was repressed, but I always knew something was bad wrong. It wasn't until around sophomore year that it made a big issue for me. All those memories came flooding back, and on top of that, I realized I was trans. Around this time I made a good friend (I'll call her Cat), who first introduced me to Supernatural, and helped me get my first job. I didn't get big into Supernatural then, but I did find myself drawn to Sam's character. Cat was ecstatic, because as I remember Supernatural changed her life, too, and that's why she wanted to share it with me so badly. During the time I worked with her, I stayed at her house and she showed me a few episodes. I started getting help for my depression and things got a lot better. Until I came out to my parents as a trans man. They were violently against my identity, and to this day refuse to call me my proper pronouns. Things got worse, fast, and I was hospitalized. Eventually, with Cat and my girlfriend's support, I got better, and realized that I didn't need my parents approval to be who I was. I was going by "Shade" at the time, at work and at school. A year or two passed and Cat went on to college, and my girlfriend got dual-enrolled at the college our high school was on the same campus as. She got big into supernatural through a mutual now ex friend. She watched it in the student lounge, and when I had free time I'd come over, because that ex friend was starting to become borderline abusive. Watching it from the beginning with Nikki made it much better for me, and I really fell in love with the show. It also helped that in season 1, a lot of the stuff they covered was things I knew about (I lived fairly close to Ohio's Gore Orphanage, a Crybaby Bridge, and there was said to be a Woman in White near the local Girl Scout camp I attended). Again, I fell in love with Sam's character. Getting into supernatural brought me closer to one friend, and made me a new one. To this day, I consider them Family. I don't know what I'd do without them. Around this time, I felt a name change was in order- getting more in touch with my spiritual side, I wanted a name with meaning, because Shade sounded like a 12 year old's sonic oc. For the hell of it, I looked up the meaning for "Samuel". It means in one record, "God has Heard". So in tribute to the character, and that meaning, I took that name. Around the same time, I was getting ready to start college. I was lower than low. My meds were doing the opposite of helping, my parents criticized my name change in the most patronizing manner, and I fell back into self harm and suicidal thoughts. That's when I found the Always Keep Fighting campaign. I had always looked up to Jared as an actor (I mean look at his portrayal of everyone in Sam winchester's body alone- Sam himself, Meg, Lucifer, just to name a few), and hearing him talk about his own struggle with depression really hit close to home. If someone, a great man like him could deal with something like that, there's no way I could be ashamed of struggling with it too. I cried for hours. I didn't feel alone anymore. And to top it all off, it was because of someone I looked up to. Someone who worked with a group of people on a show so focused on the definition of Family that I've ALWAYS lived by, a show that brought me closer to MY FAMILY. The next few months after that were hard. But I kept fighting. I got a little better. Then my grades tanked because I was completely maladjusted to college life. Over those holidays, stuck at home with family who didn't respect who I was, who were so mad at me for "letting my ""little problem"" and ""this trans thing"" get in the way of academic performance that they hardly said a kind word to me. I fell back into self harm. I thought about suicide on the daily. And then all of a sudden, more Always Keep Fighting stuff kept coming across my dash, like my angel put it there himself. My family came a little closer. And things eased up. That was about two months ago. I still struggle with self-harm (if you count my skin-picking, I've never been clean) and suicidal thoughts, but I'm still trying. I'm still fighting. Thanks to my Family. Thanks to Always Keep Fighting. Thanks to Jared. I plan on saving up for two tattoos at least. One of my own design, symbolizing my transness and recovery from self harm, and the other just the words "Always Keep Fighting". I don't know where I'm going to get it yet, and I made a personal goal that I need to be 3 months free of all self harm before I get it, but I know I'm worth it now. I know I can make it, because I'm not alone. I've got Family. I've got Covin and Arthur and Tj and Dani and Nikki and Adrian and my blood brother Kenny. And that's more than I've ever had. I've got so many more too. I've got Family where I never had it before. And I can Always Keep Fighting because of them, and because of Jared's example. I'm actually trying not to cry as I submit this. This means so much to me and I can't really even type how important AKF is to me. I just can't. I'm alive because when I needed it most, AKF was on my tumblr dashboard. And it was there because of SPN. So thank you Jared. Thank you so much.

I have recently only just started watching Supernatural. Even more recently, I discovered the Always Keep Fighting campaign. I’ve been looking up things about it, and it is such a wonderful thing. I deal with depression. I’ve lost someone due to the horrors that it can cause. Finding this campaign has brought up so so so many good things for me. These three words are now something that will be on my mind every minute of every day. Always keep fighting.

Hi. I have been fighting depression for about 5 or 6 years. I can't tell when it started. But I remember in middle school being bullied. And having these suicidal thoughts. Over the years, I have been getting help. And finding people who make me better. I'm happier that I also found supernatural. It's made my life a little bit better. Having see what they go through, it's kinda obvious that dean has depression. He battles it. And Jareds foundation is making it better for people who have depression. Who battle it and feel alone. To bring awareness to it. I have been in a good relationship for almost a year. Found friends who aren't near as bad as I did before moving. And my boyfriend has made me feel more positive about myself. And I'm happier than I have been in a few years. I still have days where I feel like utter shit, but I remember all the people I have met and that have made me feel better. So I'm thankful. Thankful for everything.

I never talked about my mental illness (anxiety and depression). I wasn't exactly ashamed, but I could feel how uncomfortable it made other people. Sometimes they even reacted in kind of a 'pull yourself together' way. So I kept it to myself most of the time. When I have a bad period, Supernatural often is the only thing that gives me inner peace. Watching the series or con videos is like wrapping a warm, cuddly blanket around my sore soul. I watch a lot of other TV shows, but I never felt such an intense connection to any cast (and crew) as I do in terms of Supernatural. Jensen, Jared, Misha, Mark ... they really became a part of my family, as silly as that might sound in the ears of an 'outsider'. When Jared started the 'Always keep fighting' campaign, when he spoke about his own problems with depression, I felt relieved. He gave me a voice. He encouraged me to speak up. To stop hiding what I am and what I have do deal with. When I wear my 'Always keep fighting' shirts and people ask, I tell them all about it - an I tell them that I'm affected, too. When I have an anxiety attack, I don't make excuses anymore - I say that I have an anxiety attack. I don't care what anyone says or if they feel uncomfortable or if they think I'm weak. That's Jared's achievement, and for that, I'm incredibly thankful.

I don't know how many people think this but I think that Dean Winchester is depressed and so that's the reason why I love him so much and why I relate to his character. When I realized I was depressed Dean actually really helped me with that ((through a spn help blog)). I then found an article about Jared's battle with depression, I cried and Idk why. I can't describe what I felt but I know I felt better and more relax and comforted and not alone because someone I look up to goes through that.