Adrienne16 >> 21/03/2012 9:29am
Depression. Most people would have heard of depression. Most associate it with a mental disorder; this causes people to take an offish approach towards it. This should not be the case. One in ten people experience depression sometime in their lives; I was one of those people. This is my story.
Life will put many barriers and hurdles in your way but it’s how you deal with those that shapes who you are in the future and who your were in the past. It shapes those around you too. Its a hard concept to grasp if you have never been in the situation but I can assure you it will seem like there is no end at the time but in a year, two or maybe even fifty years time you will realise what you accomplished, how you see others and how much you appreciate how things have changed dramatically after being depressed. Depression is never the same for everyone. It has it’s ‘symptoms’ but unlike what my friend told me it does not have set parameters and everyone experiences it differently. There are online tests that you can take in which you answer a series of questions such as, do you get joy out of things you used to; do you feel lethargic or slow moving or hyper and restless; do you sleep a lot more than usual or a lot less; eating a lot more or less and gaining or losing weight. These are a good indicator and can help you to get the help you need. When I was in the worst place I had been in I ticked all the boxes and didn’t care I just carried on, which was the worst thing I could do. The problem with depression is not knowing how to deal with it, which often results in cutting yourself off from family and friends which is where the ‘emo’ name comes from. I often found myself alone in the back of the drama rooms blasting my music into my ears and writing all the things I felt in a small black book. This made things worse as I felt as though no one cared, and no one wanted to know me. I then couldn’t get out of the continual slump I had created for myself and I didn’t have the guts to ask for help so I just carried on as I was and everything got worse.
The best way to deal with depression was, is and always will be to talk to someone. For me this was hard because I became depressed through my trust being broken and found it very hard to open up to others.
I find that even now I can’t trust people like I used and I struggle to tell people my feelings even if I trust them I worry about being viewed differently or looked down on. I found this was a big change since I had depression.
I believe now it was because I had a plan for my future and knew what I wanted in life.
Depression can be caused by lots of different things, for me it was the situation I was in, my parents splitting, my friends and I fighting, being teased, my father treating me badly all added to it, it was then made worse by my inability to share and talk. I want to let all those out there who think that they may have or know someone who has depression you need to let them know that you care and that you are there for them. Be supportive and don’t judge them. If you have depression then understand that you friends and family are there for you, and that they want to help you, but if going to them for help scares you, then you should try what I did. www.depression.org.nz website. It will provide you with techniques and hints to help you get out of your slump. Alternatively try exercising for more than thirty minutes a day as this gets the blood pumping and releases endorphins which will give you a boost, and make sure if you eat, eat well as you will feel healthier.
