depression
It is not just a matter of feeling sad; discover an honest view of the mental, emotional and physical toll of clinical depression.
Who Needs a Therapist When (Pt. 10)
So, up front. This is not a call for help. This is not a request for care. I am perfectly capable of committing myself to professional care if my ideation goes from, "well, that'd be nice" to "let's do this." I'm good at means reduction and putting safety measures in place. So please refrain from any helpful actions. That is not what this is about.
By Haybitch Abersnatchy7 years ago in Psyche
Depression and Anxiety
Photo by Sydney Sims on Unsplash Depression and anxiety are two of the most well-known mental disorders in our society today. Anxiety affects roughly 40 million adults in the US (about 18.1 percent of our population) every year. Depression affected roughly 16.1 million adults in the US (about 6.7 percent of our population) in 2015 alone. This doesn't include the millions of children and teens who are also diagnosed every year or the multitudes of people who go undiagnosed.
By Ashlee Soptick7 years ago in Psyche
The Magic of Embracing Depression
Depression is a dark hole that consumes the brightest of people. I've had depression as long as I can remember, it's always been with me, looming over me, a heavy suffocating space that I can't escape. Sometimes when you're in a good place and life is being kind to you, your depression can pull you into a darker world, it feels like self sabotage and punishment. You feel isolated, scared and alone. It feels as if your entire existence is about being a slave to your darkest thoughts. There are times when I can't overcome this feeling, I have to sit with it until it passes. Currently it has lingered for months, it has transformed many times into different fears, pain and loneliness. Sometimes people don't understand because they think that a simple fix is all it takes, but that is not always the case. We live in a world that is busy, full of unknown horrors and promises of doom. There are two sides to every story, promises of hope too. I find myself dwelling on many problems in our society, with myself, finding my happiness and understanding I cannot control the universe. It's a fate I find overwhelming to deal with. How can you move forward? A few years ago I attended many different forms of therapies, the most unusual and surreal experience was hypnotherapy. I received a form of therapy which taught me how to relax, to be still in the moment and watch my feelings like waves of the sea. In this time I was the worst I'd ever been, I could barely leave the house without passing out from panic attacks or vomiting from fear. This form of meditation is something I've recently started practicing again when my feelings are too much for me to cope with. We live in a world with one outcome but many different perspectives. We cannot see everything at all times, we don't know everything and for some people that is a daunting feeling, including myself. Meditating has allowed me to watch my fears, it has allowed me to open up to the idea of a different perspective. Recently I managed to isolate my fears during a meditation session, it gave me my power back from the suffering of my mind. I channeled what was causing my great fear and pain into a solution that was manageable for me, what can I do to help this fear I have, how can I work towards overcoming it?Our society is very fast paced at the moment, everything must be now, no patience. Patience is one of the strongest skills you can learn, it's what you do in between those moments that matters. I'm not entirely healed, I don't think I ever will be. I'm going to be continuously drowned by waves for the rest of my life, but if I can learn to float it might make the struggle a little easier. - Hannah
By Hannah Kirkman7 years ago in Psyche
How to Survive Depression Even When You Desperately Don't Want To
Don't let the smile fool you —I am NOT a happy person. Throughout the 10 years of my ongoing war with depression, I've become an expert at how to appear happy even when every vein in my body is screaming at me to cut it open.
By Mikaila Mack7 years ago in Psyche
Theft of Depression
Depression is like a thief in the night. As if someone broke into my home and robbed me of my happiness. Sometimes it even feels as if I'll never be able to feel joy again. I used to think it was because I wasn't popular or because I didn't have many friends, but as I grew older I realized it was much bigger than that. It was as if a thief had stolen my purse and took off running. I'd try so hard to run after the thief as fast as I could to take back what was mine. My purse. My happiness. No matter how fast I ran I couldn't catch him.
By Sleepless inStLouis7 years ago in Psyche
Sewer Slide
Much like Hagrid's aversion to saying Voldemort's name, suicide is a hard word to vocalize for me, like something evil you dare not speak into existence. It's not a word that should be glamorized or romanticized and though, "I'm going to kill myself," is probably a catch-phrase that everyone has used in some ironic jest at life. Suicide is in no way humorous. The first time I ever said it, I was 11. As I floated face down in the family pool, I could hear mother's mocking tone to my brother, "Look, she's going to kill herself"—and they kept walking. I survived, clearly, and I understand why she ignored my cry for attention, but what if I had died. Maybe I did. Maybe this life is a reboot. Like Groundhog Day, I'm sure I have lived this life before. I've heard that some Eastern religions believe that if you take your own life, you are destined to repeat it, bound to the same, until you get it right. Only then can your soul grow, to move on toward enlightenment. Well, I'm sure that somewhere along the timeline of my life, or lives past, my end was met by suicide.
By Traci Reason7 years ago in Psyche
Mentally Damaged
Sunflowers make me happy. The brightness of them remind me that there is light in a world so dark. Though your darkness may be a lot different to mine. My mental instability keeps me in the dark. I know that I’m not but I feel pathetic, like I’m worthless and not good. I hurt those around me, especially the ones I love most. Obviously not physically but words hurt, too.
By Becca Kemp7 years ago in Psyche
A Personal Tale of "Millennial Depression"
Growing up, I was a kid who craved attention. Looking back now, as a 26-year-old millennial battling mental illness, I seek to peel back the layers and delve into the question of, “why?” It is indeed an important question to ask, as my seemingly constant need for validation is a large part of the personal struggles I fight daily.
By Olivia Petras7 years ago in Psyche
The Thoughts Inside My Head
As I am sitting here, in my apartment bedroom watching a show on Netflix that I have been binge-watching all day, I can’t help but to feel alone and depressed even though I am not. My thoughts in my head keep me awake at night. I wonder sometimes if I am good enough. Sometimes I am just sad. Not tonight. Tonight I am lost inside my head, but this time I don’t know why I am depressed or what I am thinking. My brain is on, but it’s drawing a blank. It’s running a million miles a minute. I want to get rid of the madness in my head, but I can’t. Nothing can fix what goes on in my brain. Not meds, not therapy, not friends, not family, nothing.
By Sommer Coggins7 years ago in Psyche
