When struggles seem endless: Making sense of 'with hardship comes ease'

Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. I'm reaching out from a place of deep struggle, not to question our faith but because I truly need to understand. For years, I've been dealing with depression and anxiety that just won't ease up despite trying different treatments, making du'a regularly, and striving for sabr. Living with this mental weight affects everything-how I see myself, my relationships with family, even my worship and ability to hold onto hope. That famous verse keeps coming to mind: "So truly, with hardship comes ease. Truly, with hardship comes ease." I want to believe this with all my heart, but what does it mean for those whose hardship feels like it lasts a lifetime? Where is the ease when someone suffers for decades despite doing everything 'right'-praying, seeking help, trying to be patient? Where's the mercy when this pain doesn't just affect me but spills over to my spouse, children, and loved ones? And my thoughts get even heavier when I consider people facing war, famine, displacement-those without basic safety, food, or shelter. Where is their ease in this dunya? Can du'a change situations that seem hopelessly stuck? I'm not asking these questions to doubt the Qur'an. I'm trying to connect these beautiful promises with the reality that some people live and die in terrible suffering. How do we understand 'ease after hardship' when that ease might not be visible in this life? Could it be meant for the akhirah? Is it internal strength? Is it those small moments of relief within larger suffering? And what if mental illness makes even those small reliefs hard to feel? How do we keep faith, hope, and trust in Allah when peace feels completely out of reach? I'd be so grateful for kind, thoughtful responses-especially from brothers or sisters who've experienced severe mental health challenges, grief, trauma, or long-term suffering, or those with knowledge of tafsir and Islamic teachings. Jazakum Allahu khayran.