Depression update

It is nearly impossible to get a statistic on how many in the world today suffer from depression. I have spoken in the past about depression but I have come across some information that I would like to pass on. By the year 2020, depression will be the 2nd most common health problem in the world. About 80% of the people suffering from depression now are not receiving any kind of medical treatment. That is very serious as depression can lead to more serious problems. 

Enough of the statistics. You may know someone who suffers from depression or even suffer yourself by depression. It is very common to hear from others "you will be ok" or "think positive and you will get over it". If hearing that helps you, then that is great. But saying that to a person who suffers from depression can make them more depressed or even think that there is nothing that will help them and that could lead them to take their own life. So I would like to pass on this message I heard recently which may help ones who don't suffer depression or don't understand it. This is a true story. A public speaker was giving a talk and the talk lead to talking about people with depression. The speaker asked a man who was in the front row who was wearing glasses to come up on stage. He asked the man if he could see the clock that was at the back of the hall, and he answered yes. So the speaker asked the man to take his glasses off and then asked the man if he could tell the time now. The man said no. The speaker said "come on try harder" and again the man could not see the what the time was. The speaker kept saying "keep trying" and "try harder" as well as "have more faith in yourself". The man could not see the time. The speaker thanked the man and asked him to go back to his seat. The speaker said that like that man who could not see the time and didn't matter how many times I told him to keep trying, the man could not see the time. The same is like a person who suffers from depression. With some sufferers telling them just keep trying can do more damage than good. So what do you do? Take a interest in them, find out what they have interests in. Believe me, trying to get information out of a person who suffers from depression about what they like can take some time. Take time and be there for them. Coming out and asking too much information about them could make them put up a wall. Start slowly. Encourage them, be positive and just be there for them. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If this post helps anyone who either suffers from depression or helps someone knows someone has depression then it has done its purpose. If you have any suggestions about this post that can make it better please let me know. I hope that one day that no one will have to suffer from depression. But now lets help the ones who are suffering to feel there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Look for it

(I am not a trained professional. I am just someone who is going through depression. Always seek medical advice.)

Do you remember a time that you felt sad and lost the energy that you had. Some people get that quite often because they have depression. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that a person who is depressed feels worse than you did during that time of sadness, I am writing this post to help everyone to understand a little about depression and to give some hope to the ones who have depression. There is a lot of articles about depression these days, I just wanted to give you my side of having depression.

First, a little about being depressed. A person who is depressed may feel alone, sadness, no enjoyment in life, hopeless or worthless, just to name a few. To have depression, you don't need to feel depressed every minute of every day. Some feel depressed a short time through the day, like when they get home from work or going to bed. Others may feel depressed once a week. There is no set time for a person to be depressed.

But that is enough of the symptoms, lets look at the hope that we can all have when we are depressed. The first thing when comes to getting back on the right track is to have a long look at yourself. Take some time out with a note pad and write how you feel each day. How you feel when facing different situations and when you feel sad or alone. Write down every feeling you have had during those times. With that list, visit your local doctor with it and talk to them about it. Getting over that first hump by visiting your doctor can be the road to recovery. There a things available that can help with the symptoms. One is medication. I know there will be a few out there that hate the thought of medication. That decision is up to you and your doctor. With me, it helped. I know some of my friends have had to go on anti-depressant for a couple of months just to help them over a stressful period. Seeing a psychologist can be very beneficial. They can give you strategies to combat depression and they are great to go and see to help talk about how you feel. Having close friends who know that you have depression and that are supportive can benefit quite a lot. Taking time to reward yourself with something that you like, for example treating yourself by going to the movies or a walk along the beach is really good.

I know when I have down times I just feel like crawling into a cave. But at these times we need to get ourselves up and do something. "Yer right, that is easy said" some are probably saying. Believe me it can be a challenge. But doing something like going for a walk really does work. I found that when I feel down, I like to go and work on some of my hobbies or watch a Star Trek dvd. By doing doing something that distracts your mind can be very helpful. I will admit it works 99% of the time, but I know that I have to give it a go for me to feel better. Exercise is great to. Getting outside and getting some fresh air is great. Even if you go outside and read a book under a tree, at least you are outside.

Depression can be very hard to deal with. I am the first to admit that it is a bumpy road and there are potholes along the way, but if I want to get better I have to put effort in. I have had depression since I was 11 and now I am 25 and I still have days that I am depressed, but I am the happiest I have ever been. There were times I stopped eating, times I was put on suicide watch, times I never left the house and times I never left my mothers side. But I am living proof that depression can be controlled and overcome. In the those 14 years, I had really good times, times that I didn't need to see any psychologists or doctors, times that I was very happy and I had a career. I got married, something that I never thought I could do when I was very depressed. I know that when a person is depressed that they feel there is no hope, but there is. If you are finding it hard, please go and see someone. Getting help is no quick fix, but it can be what gets you back on track. There is away out of those down times, you just have to look for it.


I am not a trained professional. I am just someone who is going through depression. Always seek medical advice.