Dealing With Depression
It's unfortunate, but as of today most of the people I've encountered have suffered from depression at least once in their life. But we often like to pretend that it's not a real thing and that we're not affected by it.
A couple of months ago there was a case of a young lady, a student in Bristol who committed suicide because she felt like she couldn't go on, and my heart went out to her, I can only imagine what she must have been feeling to decide it was best to end it. She was the fourth student in four months to take her own life.
This could easily have been anyone I know or one of my loved ones, and it made me so sad that she felt there was no other way to go on. Suicide is never an option, the only constant thing in life is change and I want to use this opportunity to tell you that as bad as you may be feeling there comes a time when it gets better. I promise you this.
I spoke about this on my show last week and I decided to pick a few key points for the benefit of those that missed the show.
Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable.
There are different types of depression including :-
Unipolar major depression
Persistent depressive disorder, also called dysthymia, when depression lasts for at least 2 years
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, when children and teens get extremely irritable, angry, and often have intense outbursts that are more severe than a child’s typical reaction
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder, when a woman has severe mood problems before her period, more intense than typical premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Substance-induced mood disorder (SIMD), when symptoms happen while you’re taking a drug or after you stop
Depressive disorder due to another medical condition
Other depressive disorders, such as minor depression
It can often be recognised as continuous feeling of sadness, loss of interest in activities you one took pleasure out of, loss of appetite, insomnia or trouble sleeping, wanting to sleep all the time, loss of energy and increased fatigue, difficulty in concentrating, feeling worthless or purposeless or like you're stuck, major weight gain or loss, thoughts of death or suicide.
Usually these symptoms would be persistent for over two weeks, months and years for some; and it can be triggered by anything from a stressful life event, the loss of a job, sickness, death of a loved one or the ending of a relationship.
Now I'm no medical specialist, but I have suffered from depression, and I really struggled because I didn't want to accept that I was, I was very good at hiding it, but when I was alone, it felt like I was being choked, there was a constant weight on my chest, I felt like I was waiting for something to happen.
Nothing anyone could have said or done for me would have changed how I felt at that time, and to make matters worse, I didn't know what to do to fix it, and for someone who loves to be in control, not being able to figure out how to "snap out of it" made me feel worse.
Having overcome this (I still have days where I struggle, and have to work hard not to go back to that place) I can say that the first step in dealing with depression is to admit that you are and seek help. From a medical practitioner or therapist. They'll be able to diagnose you and recommend a treatment method that is ideal for you.
I sought therapy x counselling. Having someone to talk to was a massive help some days, this helped me process my feelings and trace what my triggers were, along with that I also physically made changes to my daily routine, made an effort to do the activities I didn't feel like doing, exercise whenever I could and taking steps to rectify the issues that made me feel depressed.
It took months to get through the process, but when I did I realise that, it's important to surround myself with positive energy and keep negative energy far away from me, I cut off anything or anyone that caused me to feel less than I should.
In a nutshell, the best advise I can give is to :-
Face it head on. I'm well aware that sometimes it's the last thing you feel like doing, but your future self will thank you for it, if you do.
Ask for support. Don't be scared to let those close to you know how you're feeling, it not only gives them the opportunity to help, but it also allows them to be more sensitive to your needs during this period.
Do the things you enjoy. Continuing to live life in the most positive and uplifting way possible is one of the hallmarks of beating depression, that and not spending too much time alone.
I also want you to know (make it a mantra and repeat it as often as you can) that in the grand scheme of things, this chapter of your life is fleeting, this too shall pass, and you'll come out of the other side and it will have made you a stronger version of yourself and this is something that no outsider can really do for you.
There are people in your life who will not get how you're feeling because thy haven't been through it, it doesn't mean they don't love you, it's just difficult to understand.
Be gentle with your thoughts.
You're not alone, a lot of people are also fighting the same battle, although everyone's journey is different.
You will survive.
