Hello My Friend,
I want to address the struggle that some have with depression. I want to premise this with, I am not a doctor, therapist, or any other mental health professional. This is simply what I went through and what others I know have gone through. Maybe you will relate or maybe you know someone else who might relate. I have a history of severe depression, suicidal depression. Fortunately, due to a lot of therapy and great doctors and other mental health professionals, I got to the other side of this. Since then, I have not had to deal with that kind of depression again, but I definitely understand depression and the effect it has on so many people and their families and friends. If you haven’t experienced depression, you might have trouble understanding what it’s like. For me, it was like spiraling down this deep, dark hole and feeling like you can’t get out.
There are multiple signs of depression. Some of this might fit and some of it might not. These are from my experiences and not a full list of depression symptoms. Everyone is different.
- Feeling sad for no apparent reason.
- Not being able to function in the ways that you normally would.
- Anger out of nowhere.
- Feeling like you can’t get off the couch to even do simple tasks.
- Feeling like there’s something terribly wrong with you.
- Thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
- Feeling physically exhausted.
- Feeling like you are moving more and more inward and not feeling able to connect with others.
- Losing your appetite or overeating.
- Sleeping all the time or getting no sleep at all.
- Not able to do basic daily grooming like showering, dressing for the day, or personal hygiene.
- Missing work, school, or important events because you just can’t get ready and out the door.
- Not being able to “snap out of it”.
Speaking of “snap out of it”, people think they are helping by saying this. They say it to people who are grieving as well. No one should be saying “snap out of it”. This indicates to me that they have no idea what it’s like to have depression or grief or they wouldn’t say that.
I want to say that it isn’t like I never experienced depression again. But the depression I feel occasionally now is usually situational and because of my past, I now know what I need to do to move through it and move on.
This is also not to dismiss people who are feeling sad and not maybe depressed. Sadness is difficult too and can be overwhelming as well. Only a doctor or a mental health professional can tell you if your sadness is depression.
Depression is serious and not to be taken lightly. It can overcome someone and make it impossible to live a full life.
If you or someone you know is suffering from suicidal thoughts, please don’t hesitate to call the Suicide Hotline in your area. That’s what they are there for. Sometimes, it helps to just talk with someone who can listen and not judge.
Please reach out to me if you want someone to listen. I can’t give advice on depression because it is a health issue and there are Keen policies on that, but I can definitely listen.
Warmly,
“You are allowed to feel messed up and inside out. It doesn’t mean you’re defective-it just means you are human.”
— David Mitchell
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