Depression - why me??
I had another run in with Depression this week.
An old friend of mine, a guy I actually used to work with, called me out of the blue. We've been on contact via text for years and years, but I haven't seen him in the flesh for around 2 years, and I've not spoken to him on the phone in that time either.
At first when I saw his name flash up on my phone, I ignored it, assuming he had dialled me by accident. But I called him straight back when he text me "are you free to talk?"
Now this guy was the life and soul of any party he went to. And was the guy that people talked about and told funny anecdotes about at the parties he didn't go to. Nothing ever brought him down, he always had a smile on his face, he always seemed happy.
But I wasn't shocked when he told me he had been suffering with depression recently. Why? Because I know from experience that Depression can hit anyone at anytime, and how people seem on the outside is often not how they're feeling on the inside.
My friend went on to tell me that he had been signed off work with depression. He was ashamed of this. He kept saying to me "but I have nothing to be depressed about".
My heart absolutely went out to the guy. Not only is he suffering, but he couldn't believe and didn't understand what was happening.
I referred him to Blurt, which is a fantastic charity that helps people living with depression and people living with people living with depression. I cannot praise the people at Blurt enough, if you're reading this guys, keep up the great work.
My sympathy for him turned to sheer anger when he told me that when he had gone in to his office to speak to HR about being signed off work for depression, he was met with a senior member of the HR team sighing, rolling her eyes and looking disgustedly at him when he used the D word.
And that's what sucks most about this illness. That people who are fortunate enough not to have experienced it, not only don't understand it, but doubt it exists. It's like saying you've never seen an iguana so you're not sure they exist. Same goes with unicorns.
Well it does exist, I and a million other sufferers can assure you.
Mental illness may not be visible, but it is no less serious than a broken leg and it's about time it was treated as such. A broken leg heals, and other than maybe a bit of scarring, you can go back to walking on it, playing football or whatever when it does. I'm not sure we ever fully heal from Depression, we just learn how to not let her take control of our lives and to keep her relatively quiet.
That's easier said than done, but we'll get there.
Thank you for reading.
Please show your appreciation if you took something from my thoughts.
And please check out Blurt - a great charity to support.
@coffeehub I know this too well. I have sufferred from depression for so long and sometimes still hits me. One thing is for sure. All we need is love and someone who cares and listens. Xoxo.
That is sometimes exactly what we need. And other times we just need someone to sit with us but say nothing. The hardest part is finding someone who can tell the difference.
Take care of yourself x
That HR person needs a good boot in the ass. Drives me crazy when people just think mental illnesses are made up or not serious or what have you. I have a friend who thinks eating disorders are a choice. The weirdest part is that she has depression, something other people might think is a choice too. It's bad when people without mental illness are so callous and disbelieving of mental illnesses, but when someone who themselves suffers from one blames others for"choosing" to be sick it's mind boggling.
Everybody needs to be taking mental illnesses more seriously, and sadly that often includes sufferers themselves!
Completely with you @catonwheels
The people who have suffered in the past who then have no sympathy for other sufferers are in a completely different category!
Mental health is as serious and important as physical health. Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it isn't there. And the fact other people can't see it just makes it more important.
Sweetheart, I understand your situation well! You can share with me your feelings at any time! I coped with my depressive psychosis. But I still suffer from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. I have been treating myself for many years. I have wonderful results! Do you take any medicines? 😘😗😚😙🤗
Thank you so much. 🙂
I find that just talking about it a little helps.
I don't take medication anymore, but I do try to eat well and sleep well and not drink too much alcohol.
Alcohol should be ruled out! This substance plays a key role in the dominance of depression. It is very important to conduct a complete examination of the body and find the root of the problem! Depression is an imbalance of the hormones of neurotransmitters, in particular serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, cortisol, GABA and others. It is necessary to understand everything. Understand what is missing. Then understand why this is happening (There may be some organic damage or just a deficit of some substance). This is a global work! I spent a very long time looking for my problem. It turned out that my problem is childhood Herpes virus Zoster. This virus struck the ganglion of nerve endings. The herpes virus remains forever in the human body in a latent form and is a trigger for nervous disorders. I've been studying this section of medicine in recent years! I do not have a very good English, but I hope I could explain the essence to you! If you need any help, let me know! We'll figure it out together! 😘😗😙😚🤗
You explained it perfectly, thank you, don't worry!
Alcohol is a funny one - for years and years I thought alcohol was helping me with my depression. It took so long to realise (or maybe just to accept) that it was making things a whole lot worse.
Congratulations @coffeehub! You have completed some achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
Click on any badge to view your own Board of Honor on SteemitBoard.
For more information about SteemitBoard, click here
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPCongratulations @coffeehub! You have completed some achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
Click on any badge to view your own Board of Honor on SteemitBoard.
For more information about SteemitBoard, click here
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPThis post has received a 1.56 % upvote from @drotto thanks to: @banjo.
Thank you for sharing this. Too many times have I been told can't you just get over it? Like trust me I could if I would. People think it's a choice, but why wouldn't I want to be happy and functioning and be able to go to work and get out of bed?
You are more than welcome.
I'm just trying to get the word out a bit.
Life is hard, sometimes too hard almost to bear, and I find it frightening how people don't understand or acknowledge that.
Take care x