Every day, it steals what a thief cannot: the human soul, the pursuit of happiness, and life, itself. It steals the identity, the humanity, the strength and spirit of a person. It steals the very existance of an individual on this planet. It isdepression.
And it hurts. It hurts more than a dagger to the throat. Quite ironically, it makes youdesire a dagger to your throat.
You've probably heard this at least a thousand times before, but it's something you really ought to know: you're never alone. With the right people in your life, depression is a war that you can win.
There are several key steps to overcoming thisserious mental illness, of which claimed more than 34,000 deaths in the year of 2007, and gives its victims a higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
- F I R S T L Y, ( no more denial ! ) you must admit to yourself that indeed you are depressed. You must admit to yourself that it is a serious illness that has stolen your life and your desire to live it, away from you. And then, you must answer two key questions - do Iwant my life back? Do I want to be sincerely happy again? If the answers to these questions areyes, you have already taken a huge step in your journey to recovery.After realizing your pain, you must sit down and try to find the source of it. Here are some basic ideas.
- the loss of a loved one
- overwhelming loneliness
- a recent traumatic event
- achedemic failure
- bullying/peer pressure
- an overwhelmingly humiliating event
- your sexuality
- financial/medical hardships
Anyway, you must get the drift, by now. You have your own reasonings, and no matter how crazy they are does not change your path to recovery. Identifying the source of your misery is a monumental step to healing!
- S E C O N D L Y, ( reach out ! )seek help from a loved one - reach out! You can't expect to heal without the help, love, and affection of another human being. However, if there is no one in your life that you think approrpiate - or no one in your life at all - then don't worry! Believe it or not, confessing your illness and its source to a complete stranger may even be a lot easier than explaining your secret shame and under-the-table misery to a friend or relative. And if you think that there's no one in this world willing to listen to what you have to say and offer you advice and comfort, then, well, open youreyes! There are six billion other people that you share planet Earth with - how could you ever be so foolish as to think yourself alone? You may as well slash that word from your dictionary.Start out with contacting someone via a National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 1-800-273-TALK (this applies essentially to the United States). There will always be someone you can talk to, someone there to recognize the importance of your life and you as a human being - twenty-four hours a day, and seven days a week.
You won't be judged by any means - not by age, ethnicity - not even by what you've done or what's happened to you! Whether you're seven or sixty, someone will be there for you, with advice on how to seek further help, and restart your life. You can be led to a therapist that can help you get your life back on track.
It all sounds too good, too easy, yes? Just call a number, and,voila, problem solved? Well, no. Not quite yet.
If you want any change in your life, you can't just keep all your walls up and expect all of your problems to vanish. You have to open up. You can't keep secrets from those trying to help you, you can't sabotage your own chances at a happy life. Whatever is bothering you, whatever it is that you desire from this recovery process, you must explain. No one can read your mind.
With the help of a therapist to sit down and listen, to sit down and simplybe with you, you're definitely on the right path. - F I N A L L Y, ( time ! )time. Time is the ultimate medicine - beyond cocaine, marijuana, alchohol, and emotional eating, after seeking professional help, time is all that you need (excluding, of course, constant companionship). Even with therapeutic help, you can't expect your depression to leave you overnight.However, if you don't let the time pass, correctly, you very well could slip past.
Here is a basic list of the many things you can do to spend your time wisely and leave depression behind you:
1)Adopt a pet. What screams happiness like a furry companion? Find an animal shelter near you, and adopt a cat or dog (bunny, rabbit - need I name all potential pets, for you?), or even as many as you can take care of. Walk your pet, or bring him/her to the park, often. Try to avoid cooping yourself and your furry friend up, at home.Note: Why adopt? Just like you, animals at local shelters could be going through depression, as well - from rough pasts that made them end up in a shelter, in the first place, or being cooped up all day and desire the love and affections of someone just like you.
2)Volunteer! Keep yourself busy. Become community oriented! It's hard to think about how sad you are, when you've got such a loaded schedule. Volunteer at your local animal shelter, hospital, senior center - you name it. There are places and opportunities literallyallaround you to socialize, make friends, and above all make a difference.
3) Find your hobby. Well - find it! You're a unique human being with unique talents, passions and characteristics. You were born with a fire insomething- something of which for years depression has been hiding from you. Whether it's painting, playing a musical instrument (you're never to old to enroll in some classes!), schulpting/ceramics, literature, or a sport, there are so many things you can do. Join a book club - visit your local library, do online research - or write for out of pure pleasure!
4)Get out of your house! Or, at least, never be alone in it! Having a pet is a great idea, but besides the companionship of an animal, it's easy to get lonely when you're all alone in your house and have got no one to talk to. Either invite some friends over, or, as the title says,get out of your house!Try to avoid spending all day cooped up - hit the park, the mall, or a local shopping center near you. Just avoid being alone, overall.
And, alas, over the course of days, weeks, months, or a year, expect your own life back. Keep contact with a therapist, and maintain regular visits, as well.
To conclude, this is your life to live. Among more than six billion human beings, you are perfectly unique - no one in all of the galaxy is like you. You are beautiful, powerful, and of your own design. This is yourone life.No one else's. No one and nothing - not even dpression - has the right to take that away from you.
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