
Testimony of Transformation: Overcoming Depression and Discovering Self-Worth
My name is Dina, and this is the story of how I emerged from the darkest days of my life into a place of healing, hope, and the discovery of a love I never thought possible. It’s not an easy story to tell, but it’s one that I hope will reach anyone who, like me, has felt trapped in a pit of despair, searching for a way out.
I was 22 when everything seemed to fall apart. For an entire month, I barely left my room. My world had shrunk to the four walls that surround me, cutting me off from family, friends, and even the digital comfort of social media. The isolation was suffocating. Each day felt heavier than the last. My mind was a storm of thoughts that terrified me, thoughts I could barely understand, but they all seemed to lead to the same terrible conclusion: I didn’t want to be here anymore.
I’ll never forget the suffocating weight of depression that wrapped around me, like a shadow I couldn’t shake. I tried to numb myself to it, but the more I resisted, the deeper I sank. There were days I genuinely believed that ending it all would be easier than fighting the pain that seemed to swallow me whole.
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One day, as I mindlessly scrolled through Instagram, I came across a post about depression. Something about it spoke directly to my heart. It was as if the words were written for me as if someone out there understood the crushing loneliness I was experiencing. At the bottom of the post, a simple sentence stood out like a lifeline: “Reach out for help if you need it.”
It took everything in me, but I did. I reached out to a page called Zawyeh Thanieh, not knowing what would come of it. I didn’t expect much, but the response was more than I ever could have hoped for. They asked me questions—questions no one had ever bothered to ask before. And for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt heard. Really heard. There was no judgment, no dismissive words, just space for me to speak, to feel, to cry.
As we talked, memories from my past resurfaced. The cruel words people had spoken over me, their careless labeling of me as a failure, unloved, insignificant, echoed in my mind. I remembered the panic and despair I had buried for so long, including the moment of a young girl’s tragic death, which made me question why I was still alive when she wasn’t. Some people even told me her life was worth more than mine. Those words cut deep and left scars I didn't realize were still there.
Even though I had graduated with a degree in Qur’anic sciences, those months of isolation had stripped away any sense of worth I once had. But as I opened up to the kind people at Zawyeh Thanieh, something began to change within me. It was subtle at first, a flicker of light in the overwhelming darkness, but it was there. And for the first time in a long time, I allowed myself to hope that maybe—just maybe—I wasn’t beyond saving.
They encouraged me to see myself through the eyes of the One who created me. That idea was nothing short of revolutionary. Could it be true that I was loved? Could it be possible that I had worth, not because of what others thought of me, but because God Himself had created me out of love?
At first, the words felt foreign on my tongue. I couldn’t fully believe them. Saying, “I am loved” was like trying on a garment that didn’t quite fit, but the more I repeated it, the more I started to feel a warmth inside me. Slowly but surely, the layers of shame and self-loathing began to peel away, revealing a new image of myself—an image that was loved, cherished, and valued by the Creator of the universe.
And then came the moment of deepest clarity. I realized that God didn’t just love me. He desired a relationship with me. He had been waiting for me all along, offering me a love that was deeper than anything I had ever known. I saw, with crystal-clear eyes, the love of Christ who had died for me, who had taken my brokenness and shame to the cross, and in His resurrection, offered me new life. A life that was not bound by my past, my failures, or my mistakes.
That truth broke me wide open, and in that brokenness, I found healing. I prayed a simple prayer, asking God for forgiveness and for the strength to move forward. As I spoke those words, I felt a joy and relief wash over me that I hadn’t felt in years. For the first time, I understood what it meant to be truly valued, not for what I could do, but for who I was in Christ.
My journey isn’t over. There are still days when the weight of the past presses down on me, but I know now that I don’t walk this path alone. God is with me, holding my hand, and guiding me toward a future that is filled with hope and purpose. I am learning to rebuild the relationships I thought were beyond repair, especially with my family. And though I still don’t know what the future holds, I trust the One who holds it.
My testimony is one of transformation, from the pit of depression to the heights of God’s love. Through the support of Zawyeh Thanieh and the realization of my true worth in Christ, I found the strength to rise again. I am no longer defined by my pain, but by the love that saved me. And as I continue this journey, I walk forward with faith, hope, and a heart full of purpose.

