Depression - A Silent Killer

Wow, definitely have fallen off from blogging for sometime and I cannot deny how much I miss writing. With the current global pandemic, life has changed and a lot of people are facing mental stress and are feeling unheard. This blog post is about a mental health topic that numerous individuals are facing.

Depression! One of the most taboo condition in our society. In our society an individual with depression is usually labelled as someone who is "weak" or someone with a "negative" mindset. What is depression? Why is depression denied? Why is mental health so important is today's society? Mental health is not a topic many individuals are aware of or are properly educated on - I am not an expert myself, but recognizing when a close friend or loved one is battling depression is very important. Depression is not you feeling down for "1 hour or few hours." Depression can be tearing up when you just dropped a glass of water. You can be at a party or surrounded by people you love but still be alone. It's the struggle waking up in the morning and getting out of bed. If you are reading this blog and are struggling with depression - and you got out of bed today. I am proud of you. It can be a struggle to pull yourself out and go on with your day.

Depression is a word we throw around not thinking what it really means. "Oh I am depressed, I did not get to go out." or " My crush likes someone else and now I am depressed." etc. etc. Depression affects individuals of all ages and it has less to do with negative mindset. Studies have proven that there is not one main cause for depression. You might have heard that "things will get better" or "see the brighter side" and often times you pray they are right.

We often fail to understand when someone is going through depression and often wait till we see suicide to post "please reach out to me if you need someone to talk to" - there is no one to blame for this however, it is important to recognize why depression is scary. I was reading a few posts about a public figure who ended their life and lost their battle to depression. I saw numerous people dropping in their comments indicating how anyone facing depression should reach to them but when someone does ask for help - they are labelled as being weak or not being able to handle world's troubles.

I would not define depression as a disease or an illness only because these two words are taboo in themselves. Any individual fighting depression - please know you're heard, please know that you're loved. The problems you're facing, there will be a brighter side to it.

Often times, families and friends fail to understand depression. Growing up in a household that does not recognize depression can be very difficult. Few weeks back I was reading an article about a 13 year old boy who was being bullied at school and his family failed to recognize the boy's cry for help. His family kept advising him that as a boy he should be strong and learn to tackle such situations - the bullying grew to an extent that the boy was diagnosed with depression and the family felt it was all in his head. Unfortunately, as a result the boy committed suicide to the constant bullying and . The family spoke about this to raise awareness to prevent such incidents from occurring to another family. it is important as parents to ensure your child is heard if they are battling something,

If you love someone with depression, thank you for being so strong for your partner. thank you for being there for them.You have no ideas how many times your partner felt like giving up but having you as a support has helped them out in their difficult times.

Another depressive state that needs attention is postpartum depression. What is postpartum depression? It is a type of depression that new mothers face. Mothers tend to feel sad, guilty, hopeless, and do not want to bond with their baby. If your loved one is struggling with postpartum depression - please support them, love them, try to understand what they are going through. New mothers are often going through a lot of hormonal changes and body changes.

Depression can impact your life in every aspects. From the time you wake up to the time you sleep. It can affect your education, your career, your relationships. If someone you know is struggling with this mental health ailment there are ways you can help.

Below are some ways to help your loved one struggling depression or help you cope with depression when episodes are overwhelming.

1. Exercising - Studies have proven to help subside symptoms of depression and anxiety with regular exercise.

2. Listen - Help your loved one by listening to the struggle they are feeling. Provide the emotional support they require.

3. Research - research signs and symptoms of depression and recognize these to help them.

4. Positivity - Create a positive environment for your loved one. Help them do activities they love.

5. Point out Improvements - When your loved one is feeling good - support them and acknowledge their progress.

6. Recognize any episodes that overwhelming and be there for your loved one.

7. Speak to a therapist when days seem overwhelming. it is okay to seek help.

8. Write a Journal of your daily day. Write down your fear. Write down your stress.

9. Face your worries, face your fears - don't avoid things you re feeling are difficult

10. Meditation - recharge yourself.

No matter how difficult you feel your days are. No matter how down you feel. Please know you're heard, please know you're loved. Please know you're stronger than depression. Please don't suffer in silence thinking no one wants to hear what is going on. I rather we work together to tackle this instead of losing you. Mental health is so important - especially with everything going on in the world, it can be hard to lose sight of right and wrong and suffer in silence. Be gentle and humble towards people you meet - you don't know what they are fighting or struggling with.

If you're struggling with a mental health issue - please know you're a fighter and you matter and are loved. Please know you are a fighter and you will win.

This is life through my rose coloured glasses