Life is Good

Let’s say your best friend, someone you love, respect and depend on, your ‘go-to’ person, is in a space of complete hopelessness. This individual is experiencing loneliness and pain you cannot even begin to comprehend, believing that the only way to be rid of it is to stop living. As a true friend (no matter what the relationship), would you endorse that belief or encourage communication and expression of thoughts and feelings, be there and do all you can to help the person fight? The response to that question is quite obvious.

Now, if you are ever in your friend’s shoes, having hit rock bottom with no energy or hope of surfacing for breath, I urge you to please reach out. Find someone who can do the same for you and help guide you out of that dark hole.

It happens to the best of us

Depression is a self-defeating emotion and can become life-threatening if it crosses a certain threshold. Anything can trigger it and even the emotionally strongest of us can succumb. It’s nothing to be ashamed of and something that can well be overcome… with the help of some care and support. It has engulfed even the seemingly happy and successful people, celebrities who are often role models to millions of fans. Quite a few, in fact, have shared the pain of their depressive phase to motivate those suffering to seek help.

Image source – Pixabay

Symptoms

Symptoms include – withdrawal from social interaction and previously enjoyable activities, change in sleep and food habits (over/under sleeping and eating), a sense of perpetual doom, lethargy and complete unwillingness to do anything, hopeless and helplessness about the present and future and a pain (read emotional) which is intolerable and inexplicable.

Seek help

Depression is not something you can snap out of on your own or an attention-seeking ply as it’s often misunderstood to be. It just happens. Both medical and therapeutic aid is needed to get you back on your feet. So, seeking professional help is a wise thing to do as it provides a safe, non-judgemental and empathetic environment where healing can take place. Plus, a therapist/ counsellor is an expert and trained to understand and offer the most appropriate type of support.

‘Staying Alive’ can be a struggle and some of us need more help and encouragement than others to get through the day. Again, there’s absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Support can come in many forms and contrary to popular belief, is quite readily available. Seek it out.

Life is meant to be celebrated, not mourned.