Depression definition and symptoms
Depression, aka major depressive disorder is a common medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. It starts as early as childhood years, and is noticeable in teenagers from ages 12-18. However, depression is treatable. Below is a list of symptoms for depression that are not in any particular order and may differ from person to person.
Feeling sad, irritable, or angry
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
Appetite changes
Irregular sleeping patterns
Loss of energy or increased fatigue
Feeling worthless or guilty
Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
Constant mood swings
Thoughts of death or suicide
Living with depression
At the age of 16 I was diagnosed with depression. During this time of my life I was an emotional wreck. One weekend I told my mother I wanted to go talk to a therapist because I felt down and couldn’t handle my own emotions. She was not happy to hear this (there is a huge stigma around mental health especially in the black community) and was confused on why I couldn’t talk to her – but deep down I knew I needed professional help. After our talk I went to therapy for 3 months straight then took a break for a year. My therapy sessions consisted of pinpointing my negative emotions and thoughts and how to train my brain to think more positive. Majority of my fears during therapy were realizing what didn’t work in my life. During my break from therapy, I realized how strong I was. My therapist was surprised to see how much growth I had made; considering I did talk to her for a year. I no longer associated with people who didn’t bring positive energy to my life, nor did I participate in activities that didn’t serve me any purpose.
How I coped/ am coping with Depression
Coping with depression isn’t an overnight process. What you focus on grows, and I focus on what adds to my life. First, realizing the importance of time management was and still is an odd coping mechanism for me. Planning my days and making to-do lists distract my mind from thinking about negative thoughts. Although being “busy” isn’t necessarily great 24/7, checking goals of my to-do list keeps me going. Next, understanding the power of journaling helped me release my negative thoughts and emotions onto paper. This technique has prevented me from sending risky texts and starting unnecessary arguments. In addition, journaling has helped me look back on moments in my life where I thought I couldn’t overcome difficult obstacles. Lastly, working out has been such a great stress reliever. Dealing with depression while being a student and having a job can be overwhelming at times. Working out is an outlet for me because I get to listen to music while burning calories, and I always feel great afterwords. In conclusion, depression comes in many different forms and can start very young. How you cope with depression may differ from others so it’s best to not judge. If you have a friend who suffers from depression, be an ally for them by listening and understanding their needs.
Thank you for reading
If you suffer from depression and found healthy ways to cope please leave a comment below. I would love to learn from your experience. Or if you enjoyed the blog overall I would appreciate feedback.
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