Depression seems to creep up into people’s lives at some point. It can be caused by many things. These include post traumatic stress from a life changing event such as divorce, death, or some major life altering event that leaves the individual unable to cope in a health way. It’s a disorder that affects 5% of the Canadian population and affects 1 in 10 people aged 15 to 24. Depression is very vivid in my family’s history. Both of my maternal and paternal grandparents suffered from depression. I went through a time in my life where there was a constant cloud over my head. At first, I didn’t really know what was going on. I struggled to do the simplest things like getting out of bed or socializing with friends. It all stemmed from my diagnosis of chronic pain and chronic fatigue which occurred some months earlier. For eight months straight, I was in and out of hospitals, clinics and psychiatrist’s offices every week trying to find out what was wrong with me. Depression isn't something that can be sugarcoated. It’s one of the most frustrating and difficult things you can experience. But with so many resources available, depression is something you can cope with. I remember the day that I had a “breakthrough”. I was sitting on the beach by myself listening to music. I remember looking out into the sunset and was just continuously telling myself “I can’t cope”. At the same time a song I was listening to played out the lyrics “don’t give up”. It was one of the most vital moments in my life. All this time I suddenly realized I was actually capable of getting out of bed, seeing my friends, and of doing whatever I wanted to do. I had subconsciously put limits on myself or told myself that I simply “can’t”. From then on it was all uphill. Here are just some of things that helped really helped me:
The most important thing that I changed was my attitude towards my life and everything. I started to learn how to garden. I find that being outdoors and working my hands with the soil, on a quiet day, is up lifting. I decided to return to my sense of normalcy. I realized that a regular routine for me was important and therefore my return to my regular classes at school were good for me. Besides improving my grades, the social interaction with my peer group was fundamental in grounding me. After a period of six months, I felt that I was whole again. To date, I am aware that it is easy to become depressed again. It is something that I am distinctly aware of and have ascertained that there are certain triggers that can lead me down this dark path again. Today, I am a positive, young, healthy person that is experiencing life to its fullest. Latham A other links: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/channel/depression
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