Dealing with Depression

There are days when we all feel ‘BLUE’- I am not sure who picked the color for sadness but anyway that’s what its called.

You wake up in the morning and your physical energy feels low, your appetite seems to have vanished into thin air or you feel the need for “comfort eating”- and emotionally you are apprehensive, anxious for no reason and the signature emotion called Sadness envelopes you. But like a wave this feeling comes and is then gone…

With depression you don’t just feel Blue, and nor does this feeling dissipate after a day or two, its there for weeks. Depression is a whole body illness which affects your mood and thoughts. It affects the way you eat and sleep, the way you think about yourself, and depression is definitely not the same as a temporary Blue mood. It also is not a sign of weakness or a condition that can be willed away. A person suffering with depression cannot simply pull themselves together.

To the one suffering from depression, the entire world seems happy besides them, and happiness is foreign to a depressed person. Their world becomes a desert of isolation and loneliness, and at times for the brave one who does reach out to family and friends, is greeted with more isolation and distance.

Those who are not depressed cannot fully understand what a person suffering from depression thinks and feels, and can often take an approach of ” what does he/she have to be sad about… Why can’t he/she see the bright side???
This kind of an attitude lacks compassion and empathy- so please do not adopt it!!!

A depressed person can become non-functional and life becomes unbearable to navigate through.
And it doesn’t matter how much you’re loved, you still feel like a burden to the world.
It truly is sad when world statistics show that 350 million people world wide suffer from this debilitating condition.

My aim is to educate you today on how to cope with depression and how you as a friend or loved one can be more compassionate to the one suffering.

Symptoms may include:

• Persistent sad or empty mood.
• Loss of interest or pleasure in things that were once enjoyed.
• Feelings of hopelessness and pessimism.
• Insomnia or hypersomnia.
• Appetite and/or weight loss or over eating and weight gain.
• Thoughts of death or suicide.
• Deterioration of social relationships.

Important to note that not everyone suffering from depression would experience all the symptoms listed above.

What to say to someone who is depressed.
 When they say ” I’m all alone”
Don’t say ” no you not! I’m right here with you, doesn’t my caring mean anything to you”
 Do say ” I know that you’re feeling alone right now, is there anything I can do to help? I’m just glad to be with you. Together we will get through this lonely feeling.

I hope the demonstration above gives you the loved one an idea as to how important your approach is.
To the one who is depressed, your feelings are real, you are not weak or lazy. Reach out and ask for help because its there. You may need professional help in assisting you with your depression. You don’t have to go through it alone.

Read as much as you can about your condition, so you are fully aware of it, which can help you not let it take control of your life. Be kind and patient with yourself- remember once you take the route of therapy and treatment, feeling better may take time but trust the process.

There is help out there so reach out and get it. You deserve a life of joy and not one that’s restricted by depression.
As and EFT practitioner and healer I know that you can be healed.
You can also contact SADAG- South African Depression and Anxiety Group.
Counselors will assist you
Call 0800567567

Make space in your heart for everyone.
Put aside petty conflicts and dramas. Everyone needs our love and compassion… All there is… Is love.