DEPRESSION

You know so many people confuse between these two, stress and depression. You find someone saying, “I was so depressed last month!” and if you ask that person what helped him or her get out of that depressing zone, she or he be like, “Music my friend”. And I’m like are you talking about depression or stress? Because on my own understanding, I know that depression hits differently. I agree that music can help to reduce depression BUT I don’t think it’s a whole deal without professional help or even someone to help you go through it. So here is the thing for starters, depression is more serious and long lasting than stress and requires a different kind of help! INFACT, depression is a mental health disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life. Second, there is no single cause of depression (it can be caused by various factors).

“A depressed person often feels exaggerated feelings of inadequacy, worthlessness, hopelessness or guilt is unbearable, exhausting effort, (Solomon, 1998)”

How you experience depression, it does not have to be the same with how the other person experiences. This means that we are different and how we deal with our situations or problems are also different though sometimes might seem to be common. Just because your friend who was depressed lost his or her eating appetite, doesn’t mean you’ll also have to lose appetite. Maybe you’ll be overeating and gaining weight, which is quite the opposite of how your friend experienced.

PLEASE DON’T SUCK IT UP!

There are so many times we go through depressing moments and want to share what we go through with people that are close to us BUT WE JUST CAN’T! It happens to be about them and not about us anymore. It’s actually not their fault, it’s ours because we start to focus and debate more in our minds on what or how these people are going to see us if we share our most vulnerable parts. Are they going to see me the same way as before? What if it’s a lot for them to take? What if they don’t care? What if it’s too much to share? What if it doesn’t make any difference? What if they take advantage of my vulnerability? The whatifs goes on and on, and eventually you decide to suck it up and deal with whatsoever you go through alone (that’s when we hear someone committed suicide because she or he was depressed)… BUT WHAT IF we stop the assumptions and the negative thoughts from flowing and circling in our minds when we need PEOPLE THE MOST? If you want to share what you go through with someone, JUST DO IT regardless of how that person might take it. It’s about you and not them!

SO WHAT’S YOUR ESCAPE ROOM?

What do you do to treat depression? See here is the thing, people are dealing with depression everyday and we may not know because they are afraid if they say or share what they go through, they’ll end up being gossiped about instead of being helped. So instead, they decide to lock themselves up in any activity that will help them in reaching a goal of escaping the depression room. SO WHAT DO YOU DO? Is it binge watching? Binge drinking? Praying? WHAT IS IT ACTUALLY?

Here’s an interesting thing, I asked someone this same question that I’ve asked above and he said he usually takes shower whenever he’s depressed. I laughed so hard, and I was like, are you always in your bathroom whenever you’re depressed? And he had nothing to reply. I don’t think if you get it guys but so many people don’t know what depression really is. If he would’ve told me that he takes a bath whenever he’s stressed, I would’ve have agreed. Either way, we are all different and everyone has his or her own way of dealing with situations and eventually, acceptance and understanding are all that’s needed.

SO HOW DO YOU NOTICE A DEPRESSED PERSON?

A depressed person may face problems in working, concentrating and you will also observe changes in eating habits which results in weight loss or weight gain, sleeping more or less than usual, trouble with memory, withdrawing from others, trouble making decisions, being restless, agitated and irritable. Scary enough, it can also be associated with thoughts of suicide.

Depression can lead to many effects in our lives like death, unemployment but luckily enough there’s also treatment for depression whereby a person can undergo through medications, therapies and also self care can also help to treat depression (it may also involve avoidance of drugs and alcohol).

Just so you know, it’s okay to be depressed but what’s not okay is to keep it for yourself instead of seeking for help! Also let’s all be honest with each other because that’s the only way to make this easier. If you say you’re FINE what exactly do you mean? Are you good? Or you mean never good enough? Don’t be silent when you’re screaming inside and also remember, DEPRESSION IS NOT JUST SADNESS, IT'S MORE THAN THAT!

PS: If you want to talk about anything that bothers you, please feel free to click the WhatsApp icon for direct messaging!

                                                                                                              Jajaapsycho.