SURVIVING DEPRESSION
Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent life dominating feeling of sadness and loss of interest.
This feeling can wear you down and make you feel so alone, you can even get physically sick. It’s not a feeling that can be easily brushed away. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn’t worth living, no one loves you, you don’t have a place in this world, you may struggle with going to work, eating, getting along with others, parenting and taking care of yourself, you may have a hard time concentrating or making decisions, for some, depression may lead to thoughts of death or suicide.
Depression can be triggered by stresses in life which include; physical and mental health problems, environment, alcohol, drugs, family history, side effect of some medications etc.
If depression is left unattended to, it can continue for months or even become chronic but when treated, symptoms and reoccurrence can be managed. If you are struggling with depression, I want to assure you that you are not alone and you can overcome it.
SIGNALS OF DEPRESSION
· Isolating yourself from others
· Loss of appetite
· Change in sleeping patterns
· Inability to concentrate
When you are experiencing depression, you have to speak to someone about what’s going on, the person maybe a trusted friend or relative or a counsellor. The person doesn’t have to fix you, they just need to be a good listener and listen compassionately without being distracted or judgmental. There should be no shame and no fear in discussing the kind of mood you’re feeling on a daily basis, when you open up to someone, this will help in lifting your mood. If you feel you don’t have anybody to turn to, you can start building new friendships.
7 POSITIVE LIFESTYLE CHANGES TO OBSERVE WHEN YOU FEEL DEPRESSED
#1. Get out of bed, exercising, take a shower, get dressed even when you have nowhere to go, do whatever you enjoy doing.
#2. Continue to get involved in social activities, reconnect with others and get together with your close friends or family members.
#3. Watch what you eat because it can also affect your mood, reduce the intake of caffeine and alcohol. Boost your mood with foods rich in B vitamins, deficiency in Vitamins like folic acid and VitB12 can trigger depression. Eat more citrus fruit, beans, leafy greens and eggs.
#4. Have a daily schedule of what you want to do, this will help you look forward to things you have to do.
#5. Challenge negative thinking, always stay positive. Replace negative thoughts that fuel depression with positive thoughts.
#6. Keep a journal where you can record events and list all the factors that make you feel depressed, this helps in recognizing depression triggers, negative thoughts and behaviors, it provides better ways to control them.
#7. Do something nice for someone, this will help you feel good about yourself.
You don’t have to live a stress filled life, make time to enjoy yourself. Although, it is not everyone who is depressed that would hurt themselves, hurt others or commit suicide but depression is known to be the most common source of suicide.
There is always a better way out of pain, change is possible and hope is available. You are valuable and with help you can feel better, become more optimistic and heal. The key to suicide prevention is to seek HELP. If you’ve made positive lifestyle changes and your depression is getting worse, seek professional help from a counsellor or health care provider.
