I said in a
post back in February that I wanted to start including some “real life” non
beauty related posts that could be of use to some people, I've sat down and
thought long and hard about what I wanted to share with you guys, and from the
title you know what I will be talking about.
May
11th marked the start of Mental Health Awareness Week and I thought what better
time to share my experiences with mental health issues. I always hated the term “Mental Health
Issues”, it made me feel like a freak. I always associated that phrase with strange
people that they show you on TV, wearing strait jackets and talking to walls,
but the most normal person can suffer with mental health problems. As
depression isn’t something you can always tell someone has by looking at them,
you’d be none the wiser of the pain someone is hiding. A smile can hide
everything, it really can. There are still members of my family that don’t know
that I suffer with depression. There is such a stigma attached to admitting you
have a mental health problem, and people feel like they can’t open up about the
issues they are facing. But more and more each day, people are coming forward
and admitting they have a problem and are sharing their stories
 | |
| Source: http://www.mieranadhirah.com/2015/01/about-depression.html |
This
is a post that I have wanted to write for the longest time, I have wanted to write this since last
year, when the news broke that Robin Williams had committed suicide after a dreadful
battle with depression. I decided to hold off on writing this because the post
I had drafted was a very angry post with a lot of cuss words, due to the way
people/the media reacted to his situation. Also I wanted to write a more
composed, honest and well thought out piece.
A sad as
Robin’s story is, I think it is unfortunate that people only pay attention to
mental health issues (or any other problems regular people face) when a
celebrity falls victim to it, when there are millions of people in the world in
distress every day.
Now I know the
internet is a place to voice your opinions, but when something tragic happens the
cockroaches come out of the deepest of crevices to spout a bunch of BS. A lot of
people have said that him committing suicide was a cowards way out and he was
selfish. Don’t get me wrong suicide is a very selfish act for the people you
leave behind and for the life you could’ve lived if things got better. But as someone
who has suffered/suffers from depression I completely understand how he was
feeling and why he made the decision that he did. Sometimes you don’t see
another way out of this dark hole you’re stuck in. It feels like there is a
weight around your ankle pulling you down and you just can’t seem to break free
of the shackles. All you want is for the pain and suffering to stop. And you
can feel that you not being here is the best thing for everyone. I've had 2
serious bouts of depression and both times I had contemplated suicide, but all
I could think when those thoughts crossed my mind is how heartbroken my family
(especially my mum) would be and I couldn't do that to them. The best way I can
kind of put this is that it wasn't that I wanted to die, but I just didn't want to be here anymore feeling how I was feeling. But I was very lucky because I have
a very supportive family who were there for me every step of the way.
 |
| Source: http://www.danielfryer.com/depression-do-you-even-have-it/ |
Depression is a
serious mental illness that hundreds of thousands of people have to deal with. I
think the NHS description of depression is spot on.
“Depression is more than simply feeling
unhappy or fed up for a few days. We all go through spells of feeling down,
but when you're depressed you feel persistently sad for weeks or months, rather
than just a few days. Some people still think that depression is trivial
and not a genuine health condition. They're wrong. Depression is a
real illness with real symptoms, and it's not a sign of weakness or
something you can "snap out of" by "pulling yourself
together". The good news is that with the right treatment and support,
most people can make a full recovery.” Source:
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/depression/Pages/Introduction.aspx
People are so
quick to throw around the word “depressed”, to the point that when
someone says that they’re depressed people assume you’re just suffering from an
“off day”. People say they’re depressed because a pair of shoes they wanted is
out of stock, or a celebrity crush has a partner, or their parents won’t buy them
a new gadget. Those are trivial and shallow things that don’t really matter in
the grander scheme of things. The word get tossed around so casually that t it kind
of loses effect.
People
suffering with real depression can’t get out of bed, don’t take care of
themselves, lose interest in things they like, feel like life isn’t worth
living and so much more. To know true depression is the darkest, scariest and
ugliest feeling in the world. People need to be mindful of the way they speak
and of the words they use.
When I was
diagnosed with depression I kind of already knew what was wrong with me, I
won’t go into details of why I was depressed but I had a lot going on. I knew I
needed to go see the doctor because the way I was feeling wasn't good. I was crying all the time, I couldn't sleep properly, I just felt numb to everything. The
waiting list for counselling referrals at the time was ridiculously long so my
GP suggested taking Antidepressants in the interim. I didn’t find that useful,
so I stopped taking them. I found going back to college and keeping my mind
occupied and not being stuck indoors all day did me some good. It gave me
purpose and a reason to get out of bed in the morning. I was then referred to a
young adult’s therapy group, but I did not find that helpful because I didn’t
want to open to a bunch of people I didn’t know, I prefer one on one sessions.
But for some being in group, being able to relate to others like you can be a
great thing. I think I will always be prone to having bouts of depression, but I think I have a better handle on it now. I know the signs and try my best not to let it take over and let my low moods escalate.
What to do if you think
you or someone you know has depression
- Get help - Speak to your GP and they can advise you on what’s best and get you the help you need. If you can go private I would because you’ll be seen a lot quicker, us brits know the struggle that is the NHS. But if you don’t feel they are taking your concerns serious enough keep contacting them until you get the help you need.
- Speak to family and friends - Make someone aware of how you’re feeling. Depression can make you feel so lonely. The best thing I did was confide in my family and friends. It really helped knowing they were there for me.
- Keep busy – I know it can be hard to try and focus on anything but focusing on the good stuff and things you enjoy can be a life saver. Something as simple as going outside and taking in the fresh air and some vitamin D can be calming.
SUICIDE
A percentage of people with depression
who get help can end up making a full recovery, unfortunately there is that other
percentage of sufferers who go the route of suicide.
The
World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that each year approximately one million people die from suicide,
which represents a global mortality rate of 16 people per 100,000 or one death every 40 seconds.
It is predicted that by 2020 the rate of death will increase to one every 20
seconds. – This
is scary and so upsetting that this many people in the world feel they have no
other options but to take their own lives.
Beside talking
to family or a doctor, there is loads of information/resources online and
places to contact for help.
Here is a
tumblr post I reblogged that has a list of suicide hotlines for numerous countries
around the world. Hopefully your country is listed. If not I’m sure if you hit
up google you’ll find something for you.
If you live in
England and are contemplating or know someone contemplating suicide get in
touch with the Samaritans. They deal with suicide prevention and run a 24 hour
service. http://www.suicide.org/hotlines/international/united-kingdom-suicide-hotlines.html
I hope this has
been helpful. And please if you or anyone you know is suffering with depression
or considering taking their own lives please get help.
Sonya xoxo
Follow Me :)
*all products mentioned were purchased
by me with my own money except where marked with an asterisk (*) or stated, everything is my own view and I have not been
paid to do this post*
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