SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Three years ago, Jessy-Anne Jimenez was thrust into a dark war with depression and didn't think she was going to come out on top.

Jessy-Anne Jimenez was diagnosed with clinical depression three years ago, and has reached a point in her life where she's sharing her story with others. One of her coping mechanisms is nature, and the spot where she is pictured above in Old Town next to the Air Tindi float base is one of her favourite spots. - Candace Thomson/NNSL photo

After her father left her family when she was just about to turn 18, Jimenez slowly absorbed the sense of abandonment which eventually grew until there was a constant emptiness and pain that led her to consider taking her own life.

"I thought I could handle it myself at first and had probably the darkest three months of my life," said Jimenez.

"I was suicidal. It's pretty scary to think that I was at that point where I personally wanted to take away my precious life and was in a state of mind to think that was OK."

Then she saw a Facebook status in her news feed with one simple, yet ground-breaking, message - "smile."

"I just thought of my future and that I could be successful," said Jimenez.

"I knew I wasn't OK, that in my heart and soul, I was not the same person."

Her mother was the first person she told and became her biggest support system. After that, Jimenez went to her doctor and was diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety.

Now, she is actively sharing her story with Yellowknife youth, being one of the key speakers when six-time Olympian Clara Hughes went to Sir John Franklin High School and St. Patrick High School as part of her campaign to remove the stigma surrounding mental illness and promote discussion.

Although she is in a place where she can tell her story now, it wasn't something she could do when she was first diagnosed, said Jimenez.

"I could not talk about it. It's such a personal topic that I wasn't ready to come out and tell my story and it took me a good half a year to really open up," she said.

"After that, I just started to post inspirational quotes on Facebook and talk about my story. Then all of my friends and family who suffered with depression that I didn't even know about started telling their stories, and it was just like a domino effect of us helping each other."

Talking to people about her depression is what has helped her cope with the illness, she said.

"I do have my really bad days and my really good days, but I think once you know you have this mental disease, it's always going to be there," said Jimenez.

"I always think that people with depression are like warriors. We struggle every day, but we still keep going."

Now that she is in a better place, Jimenez is devoted to helping others, even if it's just by posting inspirational Facebook statuses or leaving random Post-It notes on mirrors in public washrooms.

"I just put things like 'you've got this, you can get through' and sometimes, that's literally all it takes," she said.

"A phone call, a random act of kindness ... it literally takes that small effort to make things better for someone."

And for those people out there suffering in silence with depression or other mental illnesses, Jimenez has a message:

"I get when you say you're OK and you cover up your pain with a smile. I get when you put up a mask that you're alright but in reality at night it all comes crashing down," she said.

"I know how it feels to have the darkest nights ever, to put yourself down all the time and I want you to know that you can overcome it.

"There is hope. There is that light at the end of the tunnel, and I know it's cliche but don't give up. Actually, don't give up."

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.