Comment by rdparedes

4 here. Been struggling with depression since 15, but got it under control since ~25 thanks to antidepressants, a healthier environment and a loving spouse whom I talk to a lot. I started drinking at 15 and had varying degrees of alcohol problems until my 20s. Never finished college - ended up with a lot of student debt and no degree. I come from a small city in Ecuador, a country which has gone through a lot of shit since I can remember: terrible education levels, insecurity, violence, political instability, etc. Parents got divorced during Ecuador's 2000 financial implosion. Dad went bankrupt, sank into deep depression and never fully recovered.

Luckily for me I'm good at one thing: coding. Eventually got out of town and found a job as a software consultant in Quito. Now I live in Stockholm Sweden. Got visa sponsored by a tech company at the pinnacle of the 2019-2020 tech hiring craze. Here I can say I'm slightly above average in terms of financial and career success, but I have it much, much better than my peers back home.

I'm kind of a loner (Sweden doesn't help tbh), I have low tolerance for stuff that triggers me and I tend to go back to bridge-burning mode from time to time, but my wife helps me stay on track and I have developed better coping mechanisms year after year :). My life is honestly wonderful and better than I could have ever hoped for. My home country is as violent as ever and I'm always worried that something's gonna happen to my family back there, but that's pretty much the only worry I have in my life now.

This exercise was great!