Tara’s experience of opening up to a friend to overcome depression

I was in a deep hole

Over a period of about two months I fell into a deep hole of depression, when several issues came to a head in my life. It all began when schoolwork started to get difficult. After years of easy grades, I suddenly had to work hard for them, and the requirements became more complex and intense. After a while I gave up trying, as I’d convinced myself that I just couldn't do it. I felt lost and confused, with no idea of what I wanted for the future. I lost all motivation. I thought that by giving up and ignoring the difficult things, life would get easier.

Gradually, I became increasingly unhappy with myself and it began affecting other parts of my life, particularly relationships with my family and close friends. I became very removed and distant. My emotions became more intense and I fell deeper into a black hole of depression. Although I maintained the smile and the happy face, I was screaming on the inside for someone to notice how unhappy I was.

My sadness turned into anger

My sadness turned to anger, and I became angry at the world, at myself and at everyone else. I began taking my anger out on my family, constantly fighting with Mum. I just didn't know what else to do. I spent a lot of time alone in my room listening to music and crying, trying to escape from the world.

I soon found an outlet for my emotions in writing and drawing. By spilling it all out on paper, I could begin to think more clearly and make sense of how I felt.

I opened up to my friend

The situation started to get better when I finally began to talk about it. Suddenly, it didn’t seem so bad after all. I opened up to a friend and, after all the tears and emotion, I realised that people did care about me. It was like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

I learnt a lot about life as I gradually overcame my depression. It’s not easy, but it's not meant to be easy. It's the challenging times and experiences that make us better and stronger people.

Although I still don't know exactly what I want to do in life, I’ve realised that if you do things that make you happy, you’ll get somewhere that you want to be and you’ll find happiness along the way.

Depression is a common mental disorder.

Globally, an estimated 5% of adults suffer from depression.

More women are affected by depression than men.

Depression can lead to suicide.

There is effective treatment for mild, moderate and severe depression.

Symptoms and patterns

During a depressive episode, a person experiences a depressed mood (feeling sad, irritable, empty). They may feel a loss of pleasure or interest in activities.

A depressive episode is different from regular mood fluctuations. They last most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks.

Other symptoms are also present, which may include:

poor concentration

feelings of excessive guilt or low self-worth

hopelessness about the future

thoughts about dying or suicide

disrupted sleep

changes in appetite or weight

feeling very tired or low in energy.

Depression can cause difficulties in all aspects of life, including in the community and at home, work and school.

A depressive episode can be categorized as mild, moderate, or severe depending on the number and severity of symptoms, as well as the impact on the individual’s functioning.

There are different patterns of depressive episodes including:

single episode depressive disorder, meaning the person’s first and only episode;

recurrent depressive disorder, meaning the person has a history of at least two depressive episodes; and

bipolar disorder, meaning that depressive episodes alternate with periods of manic symptoms, which include euphoria or irritability, increased activity or energy, and other symptoms such as increased talkativeness, racing thoughts, increased self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, distractibility, and impulsive reckless behaviour.