DEALING WITH DEPRESSION (Contd.)

DEALING WITH DEPRESSION (Contd.)

  March 02, 2019    InspireForte Solutions

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Hey champ! Why did you click on this post? Did you click because you are looking for help or you want to get information in order to help a loved one going through depression? Then you just clicked the one post that will change everything positively for you.

Let’s look at statistics; according to the World health organisation (WHO), 300 million people around the world have depression. Nearly 50 percent of all people diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. It is also estimated that 15 percent of the adult population will experience depression at some point in their life-time (personal reason: because life is hard).

The most important thing about depression is that “you are not alone”. Depression affects people from all walks of life, no matter their background. The reason anyone gets depressed always comes down to the consistent thought they think and the consistent beliefs they hold. There is an external factor that didn’t materialize in their lives or they have lost something outside of their control. Depression goes hand in hand with frustration and anxiety. That voice tell you that what you are going through will never end, you can’t get out of this, it’s over for you and all those negative thoughts that flood your mind, all encourage depression in you.

Depression is a feeling of deep sadness and loneliness. It is that state of mind that makes you not to do what you normally do, loose interest in pleasurable activities (anhedonia), makes you feel undeserving of anything good from the world or people. All you wish for is to just end it all (suicide).

Some symptoms of depression are as follows:

• Appearance: Fearful and sad.
• Behaviour: social withdrawal, decreased talkativeness, deteriorating self-care, irritability.
• Thought content: Brooding (deeply thoughtful), self-pity, low self-esteem, pessimism, sense of failure, feeling punished, helpless and hopeless, wish to die.

What you need to know deep inside is that this is just a natural process of becoming a stronger version of yourself. Getting out of depression is never easy, it’s really hard. Life is hard but then again will you allow life put you down? Challenges of life are inevitable. They are going to do their best to take you down, just don’t let them. There is light at the end of the tunnel. You didn’t come to this part of the world by yourself. Something brought you here and that should tell you that you were meant to be here. This part of the world won’t be complete without you no matter how insignificant you think you are, that’s the truth. So line up those problems, face them and fight them. Always see depression as the night (darkness), and after the night what comes next? You guessed right champ; the morning (light).

Here are some suggestions that will help you get out of depression:

• Define why you are depressed: Ask yourself “why am I depressed?” You will be amazed what this simple question can do to your depression situation.
• Share your problems: Depression makes you think no one will ever understand what you’re going through or what you feel. The fear of what people will say or letting yourself out in the open will hinder you from sharing your problems. Try talking to someone, maybe a loved one, a friend or even a total stranger (sometimes this helps).Let it off your chest and find out if there is a way around your problems. Remember a problem shared is half solved. Start a conversation, because staying locked up won’t help.
• Consider therapy: Most people suffering from depression find it very difficult considering therapy. They don’t even want to hear about it. This is because they feel it makes them more vulnerable, but the truth is that if you summon the courage for therapy, it can go a long way making them better.
• Try helping someone: This may sound a little bit off to you but of a truth the results are amazing. Try putting your sadness, fear, hopelessness and helplessness aside for a moment and try helping someone else. No matter how little, just try helping someone. You can help with anything, e.g. try to stop a child from crying, help someone carry a bag, talk to a person you see sitting alone, help an elderly person get a cab home etc. There is a lot you can do for someone. What this does is to give you a sense of belonging, relevance and significance. In the process you begin to understand that there are a lot of people who need help and not just you. It helps build courage to step out and seek solution for yourself because you have answered the clarion call to be your brother’s keeper and in the process you have learnt from the problems and situations of people you have helped.

Some people will tell you “think positive”, but don’t try to. Trying to force yourself to think positively can actually make the worries worse. The reason why is because it is really hard to just change the channel (negative thoughts) already in your mind. What you have to do first is to interrupt the channel, turn it off and turn it on with another set channel for positive thinking. Furthermore, try to focus on your breathing, feel how air goes in and out of you. That right there means you are alive, and as long as there is life there is hope.

I can keep going on and on with this post because there are a whole lot of things to be shared, but the real job to get out of this depression state which you are in is on you. You have a choice and don’t let fear paralyze you. No matter how low you have sunk, no matter how bleak your situation is, this is not the end. It is not how your story will end, it is not the final chapter of your life.

Depression is a thief. It has stolen dreams, lives, happiness, friends, family and a lot more from this world. Don’t let it steal you too. Show the world that you are a champ. Champs don’t quit and champs don’t let depression hold them down. Champs get up, fight and win.

---by Nathaniel Miles Odazie.