Growing up as children, we all have optimism, ambition and hope. We only see the good in life, unfazed by the negative things. However as we get older, encounter certain situations and gain more experience; we begin to carry the negativity life hands us. With each negative experience, we have, we begin to build a foundation. The more we build on this negative "foundation", the worse we begin to feel. Our emotions begin to teeter on the unstable foundation we have built. Feelings become unexplainable and behavioral tendencies begin to change in us. Any of these behaviors are ways to mask a deeper issue; depression.
Depression is the surprise party life threw for you, but never asked if you wanted to go. "Surprise! Welcome to living in a maze, please enjoy your stay!" is how your mind, now greets you. The place you once called home and found peace in, is now your worst enemy. You become lost, empty, and hopeless. The only thing that remains is a shell of who you once were. Your mind used to shine but now you are all alone in the dark. You have light nights, and dark days. The night romances you, charming you, with the call of insomnia, so that your mind can fill itself with thoughts. Thoughts, that were once, a beautiful starry night sky, are now, just a dark sky. The stars abandoned you with the moon following suit, leaving you to dance with the winds of depression.
When your nights are over, and your mornings begin; you wake up and start your routine. You look in the mirror, no longer recognizing the person you once were. It does not matter to you; it is time to wear your mask for the day. The facade, for the next war you will wage on yourself today. The war begins, as you sit there with your coffee; only to realize depression stole your happiness, only leaving you with bitterness in your cup. The war continues; family and friends launch missiles and grenades, in the form of demanding time, respect and attention. They need you, but they never see that you need them too. Your emotions begin to swing, constantly taking you through the highs and lows of life. Taking you on the rollercoaster, you did not want to be on. You become frustrated easily, agitated by the slightest request, and angry with the people you once loved.
This is depression.
One in twenty people in the United States suffer from depression, with an estimated 18% increase every decade. It is a common mental illness, and is the leading cause for disabilities worldwide. Depression affects more women, than men. It appears that we, as a nation, do not see this or recognize this as being a serious issue. Too many people have a stigma that depression is bad. Therefore, they ignore the signs of depression or, invalidate the feelings of those suffering from depression, which only makes matters worse. We need to learn to recognize the signs of depression, and help the people we know suffering from it.
Depression usually begins in adolescent years. During adolescent years, it can be difficult to spot, due to an influx of hormonal changes. However, if we continue to ignore the signs of depression or do not educate ourselves, the consequences could be drastic. Depression can lead to suicide, which is another, very real issue. Every 16 minutes someone in the United States commits suicide. These are two issues we can help those in need with, if we are open to doing so and willing to look for the signs. Depression is treatable through various methods, such as; medication, therapy, hobbies, etc. Treatment depends on how depressed the person is (a medical scale is used to determine this), what they are willing to do, and adhere too.
We also need to understand how the road of recovery works for a person suffering from depression. A key factor in the recovery process is receiving motivation and support from loved ones. I cannot stress this enough, it is VERY important to uplift and motivate that person when they are down, as well as pay attention to their behavioral tendencies. Another key factor in recovery, is sticking to their regimen; loved ones/family members/friends should aid in this process by reminding them to adhere to it. Also, understand that they will have depressive episodes, which is like relapsing. This is normal and can happen to anyone who has depression, regardless of what treatment they are receiving and how long they have been receiving the treatment.
This is a call to humanity, from someone suffering from depression.
Let us be the generation to help those already suffering get the help they need, and be the generation to decrease the number of people suffering from depression. Also let us be the generation to decrease the number of suicides each year.
If you or anybody you know is depressed, help is available in one of two ways. You can call the crisis hotline at 1 (800) 273-8255 or you can now text a crisis counselor at "741-741" typing start (as the message) and sending it. Both are available for use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
-xoxo, LadyQ