Tag Archives: Mental health illness

Depression – The Silent Killer

August 2, 2019 By in Lifestyle Tags: , , , , , 27 Comments

*Collaborative post.

Depression is the silence killer in current times. It is eating away the hearts and minds of many, and it is still being ignored as a serious mental illness by many. We may have had our own fair share of feeling low at various points in our lives, and this can give us a good idea of what living with depression can feel like. I know I have had many times in my life where I didn’t feel like getting out of bed or felt low for days, but I always bounce back. That is the difference. People who are suffering from depression don’t bounce back. The feeling of not getting out of bed or feeling low carries on for weeks, months even years.

 

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Dealing with depression

The feeling of extended sadness can come as a result of losing someone, finance troubles, relationship issues, work problems or just general life struggles. When it comes to dealing with mental health illness, the first thing is to understand  what is causing the symptoms. Once you know what the trigger is, you are half way in solving the problem. It may be tricky at first to pinpoint the trigger or triggers if all sorts are happening at the same time, but once you do, it all starts to make sense why you feel the way you do.

The next step is to find someone you trust to confide in. A listening ear/sounding board always helps. The stigma associated with mental health is starting to wear off as more and more people talk about this invisible illness, so seek out a friend to open up to. You need to remember depression is an illness and not a sign of weakness.

Once you confide in someone you trust, the next thing to do is to see your doctor. If you are feeling depressed and struggling to get on with day to day activities like getting out of bed and cleaning up , you should go see a doctor immediately to get help. Asking for help is a sign of strength. It shows you know something is wrong and you are willing to do something about it.

 

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Depression like many other mental health illness affects the entire body. It affects the way you eat, sleep or live. Which is why it eventually starts to take a toll on the body, and ends up leading to other illnesses if not treated.

 

Signs of Depression

Here are some of the common signs of depression –

 

  • Consistent sad empty mood
  • Loss of interest in hobbies/activities you once enjoyed.
  • Insomnia or Hypersomnia
  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Fatigue
  • Restlessness
  • Irritability and Hostility
  • Lack of appetite or overeating
  • Feelings of hopelessness/worthlessness

 

These are just a few of the common signs of depression. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms you should get help. There are a number of ways of dealing with depression. Talk therapy with a psychologist is a way to treat depression. Using prescribed medication from your doctor is another way. A combination of both also works in some instances. The treatment varies from person to person. Which is why you have to get your own diagnosis if you feel you are showing signs of depression. You could find out how much therapy cost here.

There is a lot to be said about our mental health and I feel the more we talk about, the more the stigma wears off. There is no shame in having any illness and we need to remember that.

 

 

Mental Health – Why We Must Continue to Talk About It

September 15, 2017 By in Lifestyle Tags: , , , , , , , , , , 44 Comments

This is the first time I am openly talking about mental health. I think it is about time I wrote about the stigma associated with talking about our mental health, and why we must continue to talk about it.

There’s a lot going on in the world that is enough to get someone depressed for days. Coupled with personal problems that come up every now and then. The weight of so much sadness can be difficult to bear. It broke my heart to hear about the death of Chester Bennington. The thought that he found himself in such a mental dark place, and saw suicide as the only escape is heartbreaking. I was a huge fan of Linkin Park growing up. I loved the rap rock style they had going on. The lyrics helped me through a lot back then. So to accept the fact that his lyrics couldn’t save him is tough.

 

 

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I think the worst part of going through so much emotional pain or trauma is going through it all alone. Most times people suffer in silence. Some are afraid to open up so that they don’t look weak. Some are embarrassed to say how exactly they feel, so they bottle it all in. So this post is just a gentle reminder that they are not alone, many of us go through the phase and many do come out stronger.

Depression is prevalent in our society and more people have started resorting to suicide, slitting wrists, and eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia as the only way out of their problems. While some are just ranting on social media endlessly, hoping no one notices how disturbed they are.

I have been thinking about all this lately and wondering how to help people struggling through depression or some other mental problem. I have come to the conclusion that the best way to help is to continue to raise awareness. If we could enlighten more people about mental health, more people would know how to handle the problem or be encouraged to get help. Here are a few other reasons why we must continue to talk about mental health.

 

It inspires more people to be more understanding towards those who go through mental health issues

Most of us find it difficult to really picture what a person suffering from mental health issues is going through. If someone is depressed and isolates themselves from others or happens to not talk to anyone, most people will think that such a person is arrogant.

A good number of people think that those who think about suicide or who actually commit suicide are selfish. But when you create more awareness on mental health, it lets people have a bit more understanding.

 

It helps people going having mental health issues identify their problem

You can never really know how to go about your problem if you really don’t know what your problem is. Sometimes you need someone to help you gain clarity on what exactly you are facing.

Awareness is not only for those who are affected but it is also for those who know someone who is affected. They will be better able to help others who are having mental health issues get help.

 

It lets people know that it’s good to open up

The core reason why not many of those going through mental health issues get help on time is because they suffer in silence. They don’t share their problems with others.

The truth is that the best way to deal with the problem is to share it with another person. If we are so open to talk about mental health, then those dealing with mental health issues will feel encouraged to speak up as well.

 

I hope this post helps raise some more awareness. If you need to speak with someone, have a look at BetterHelp. It is one of the great online therapy website.

 

*Collaborative post.

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