"Depression is living in a body that fights to survive, with a mind that tries to die"

A lot of people nowadays are experiencing too much pain, emptiness, hopelessness, and a lot of mental and emotional stress. We can see them smiling, without any trace of hardships but deep inside they are suffering, fighting against their thoughts which urge them to do unpleasant things or worse, suicide. It is somewhat called as depression.

What is depression?

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image source: telegraph.co.uk

Depression is a mental disorder which isn't just common to teens but may be experienced by all ages. It is considered as a serious medical illness which bring a lot of negative effects to those who are victims. This includes how you feel, how you act and the way you think.

It also causes feelings of ultimate sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy doing. But, fortunately! We must be blessed for it has cure. However, it may lead to severe emotional and physical problems if not treated immediatel.

Can it be Life-Threatening?

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Image source: http://www.minddisorders.com/Py-Z/Suicide.html

yes!

Though depression cannot directly kill you just like how cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis do,
but in a way that it can indirectly lead to death if those bad feelings urge a victim to decide to take his own life.

Depression can make people feel hopeless and too much sadness which causes them to find no choice that suicide is the only way to end their agony.

A lot of iconic celebrity personalities worldwide have become victims of depression and unfortunately some of them didn't make it through and ended up commiting suicide.

According to Psychiatric.org

Depression symptoms can vary from mild to severe and can include

Feeling sad or having a depressed mood
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
Changes in appetite — weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting
Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
Loss of energy or increased fatigue
Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., hand-wringing or pacing) or slowed movements and speech (actions observable by others)
Feeling worthless or guilty
Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
Thoughts of death or suicide

Depression really is a killer which kills you from the inside.

Nevertheless, It can also be cured. Symptoms must last at least two weeks for a diagnosis of depression. Aside from diagnosis and going to your psychiatrist, there are some natural tips on how to overcome depression.

Accroding to R. Morgan Griffin Of https://www.webmd.com/depression/features/natural-treatments

"Being depressed can make you feel helpless. You're not. Along with therapy and sometimes medication, there's a lot you can do on your own to fight back. Changing your behavior -- your physical activity, lifestyle, and even your way of thinking -- are all natural depression treatments."

Thus, here are some tips to make you feel better if you are a depressin victim.

1. Get a Routine

Depression can strip away the structure from your life. One day melts into the next. Setting a gentle daily schedule can help you get back on track.

2. Set goals

When you're depressed, you may feel like you can't accomplish anything. That makes you feel worse about yourself. To push back, set daily goals for yourself.

3. Do some Exercise

It temporarily boosts feel-good chemicals called endorphins. It may also have long-term benefits for people with depression. "Regular exercise seems to encourage the brain to rewire itself in positive ways".

4. Eat Healthy

In order to make your body healthy, you must be healthy inside too though there is no magic diet that fixes depression. It's a good idea to watch what you eat. If depression tends to make you overeat, getting in control of your eating will help you feel better.

5. Get enough sleep

Depression can make it hard to get enough shut-eye, and too little sleep can make depression worse.

6. Take responsibilities

Take on responsibilities. When you’re depressed, you may want to pull back from life and give up your responsibilities at home and at work. Don't. Staying involved and having daily responsibilities can help you maintain a lifestyle that can help counter depression. They ground you and give you a sense of accomplishment.

7. Challenge negative thoughts

Dont take it as if its negative but take ut as a challenge for you to feel better. In your fight against depression, a lot of the work is mental -- changing how you think. When you're depressed, you leap to the worst possible conclusions.

8. Check with your doctors before using supplements

Always check with your doctor before starting any supplement, especially if you’re already taking medications.

9. Do something new

When you’re depressed, you’re in a rut. Push yourself to do something different. Go to a museum. Pick up a used book and read it on a park bench. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Take a language class. Doing something new makes you feel excited.

And lastly,

10. Try to have fun

If you’re depressed, make time for things you enjoy. What if nothing seems fun anymore? "That's just a symptom of depression," Cook says. You have to keep trying anyway.

Depression might be serious but if you are serious enough to fight against it too, then keep it going.

And now I will show you how my drawing is done

A step-by-step process of my drawing

1. Light sketching

I first draw the boy who's suffering from depression.

2. Light sketching II

I then sketched the things that represents the depression.

3. Inking method

I started to apply ink to my drawing.

Then...

4. Detailing

I used some shading techniques using a ballpoint pen such as, hatching and angled directinal lines in detailing my drawing.

5. Inking II

I started to ink the thing that represents depression, a ghoul-like creature which urges the victim to end his life.