depression
It is not just a matter of feeling sad; discover an honest view of the mental, emotional and physical toll of clinical depression.
Depression is Funny
Depression is something I think we're all dealing with on some level right now. With how insane 2020 has been to every single person around the world, mental health is at a serious decline. It’s real, it's serious, and I think it’s important for all to understand its depth.
By Mikayla Kraus5 years ago in Psyche
Bipolar Disorder or Order?
Robin Williams saved my life. It was his death that finally made me realise I had to do something to stop this crazy life I was living and face up to the truth. There was something not quite right in my head and it hadn't been quite right for a really long time! I was an absolute car-crash in more ways than one; self-medicating heavily behind the scenes because I was so depressed, then manically entertaining everybody I met so they wouldn't see right through my carefully veiled facade. I'm an actress, good at playing real characters, so it was easy to fool people but not so easy to continue fooling myself. I tried the doctor and she told me there was nothing wrong with me,which anyone who's met me knows I'm as mad as a box of frogs, so I sought a second opinion. She told me to refer myself to the local mental health service as I'd be seen quicker. Not an easy thing to do as effectively you are admitting you have a mental problem but what choice did I have?! So I made the call. Cut a long story short, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder Type 2, which (for anyone who doesn't know) has more depressive episodes than manic ones. Either way, it's a pain in the arse to live with and you have to "manage" it every single day or it catches you unawares! My moods can go up and down like a tart's knickers! I'd been struggling with Bipolar undiagnosed for 30 years which is a bloody long time and I was angry yet relieved. I remember the nurse once asking me how having Bipolar affects my normal everyday life to which I replied, 'I can't answer that question, this is my normal everyday life!!'. Which brings me around to the question, what is normal exactly? We all have mood swings, high and low points in our lives but for some of us it's like an extreme rollercoaster and impossible to keep a lid on. We need more understanding in the world about mental illness full stop. I've always spoken out about my mental illness. I'm proud of it. It makes me who I am and what I can do creatively. To me I'm perfectly normal and have order in my own way. Others would beg to differ but I don't care, I'm doing the very best I can and that's good enough for me. Until next time...be kind and take care x
By Charlotte Kiely5 years ago in Psyche
When life feels foggy.
I was struggling recently to describe how I was feeling. Internal self reflection and emotional intelligence are two areas of strength for me so not being able to articulate my feelings feels foreign. Now I am the type of girl who listens to music reflective of what I am experiencing. There are people out there who may listen to sad love songs despite being in fulfilling, loving relationships for example; that is not me. Since getting a new car, I have mainly been streaming music through my phone. Aside from my 6-year-old daughter commandeering the playlist, I have picked a soundtrack reflective of how I am feeling day to day, but typically it has varied within weeks or months. The first sign my emotional reader was off involved none of my musical choices seeming quite right. I am not happy enough to listen here. I am not sad enough to listen there. Nothing fit! I switched to XM radio for variety out of frustration and as I was trying to summarize all this to my friend, I saw myself type out telling words: I feel like I am in a hazy fog and cannot see through it. BOOM. Depression!
By Christina K. Pierce5 years ago in Psyche
Live with Depression
I want to first start off by sharing some words I found that just is so true. For anyone suffering with anxiety or depression in your life and you are wondering why you are always so tired and weak. YOU ARE NOT! You are fighting a constant battle every single day, if that is not exhausting then I really don't know what else is. Try to always remember you are a WARRIOR and you need to go a little easier on yourself and the criticisms you give yourself.
By Life of a Gemini 5 years ago in Psyche
I Wanted to Scream
Hear me scream! This is me after a long peaceful quiet walk on a beautiful midwestern fall day. The weather could not have been more perfect. The sky was clear, the air was fresh and crisp, the temperature was cool, the sun was warm, the colors were vibrant. It was a "perfect" fall day by most people's standards.
By Kris Neilson5 years ago in Psyche
The Time I Experienced a Perfect Miracle
I find that there is so much beauty in the world and I love my life. I have not always felt this way but after a long string of both unfavorable and favorable experiences in my life, I have concluded that I live a very beautiful life. Every day is really a miracle for me and I am always in a perpetual state of awe, appreciation, and grace. I remember being very depressed as a young child until I was about 21 years old. My life seemed so bleak and nothing seemed to have any real meaning to me. My favorite part of the day was sleeping and I could not wait for the day to be over so that I could sleep for 9 hours. I hated my waking life and much preferred my dream life. I was terrified of the future and where I would end up. I could not find any sort of silver lining and I would recurrently wish that my life was over.
By Dream Silas5 years ago in Psyche
Navigating Depression in Business as an Artist
Like many other unfortunate writers, I have been supporting myself by working in a dead-end job. Many of my skills I've developed while getting my BA in writing are in terrible neglect as I continue working at a resale e-commerce company which finds little need for someone good with a pen.
By Sean Catino5 years ago in Psyche
What Causes Depression
According to the World Health Organization, 300 million people worldwide suffer from depression. In the United States alone, approximately 6.7 percent of all adults have experienced a severe episode of depression in the last year. The good news is that older adults are among the few who have a lowered risk. It is estimated that only 1 to 5 percent of older people suffer from depression.
By Kevin Roache5 years ago in Psyche
Life In Full Bloom
There I was. Toes in the water, head in the clouds. I was then 19 and it was another typical sunny September day in California. After chatting all night and advancing on a friendship that had been blossoming roughly since middle school, (the friend I shall refer to as Bloom) I felt as though I had so very much to say. It had been brought to my attention that life is never simple, and no childhood is ever perfect. We all tend to see life through different telescopes, some choosing to use their hurt to ensure that others never have to feel the same, as my dear friend had decided to do. Then there’s those of us who assume if they never speak nor think of the terrors which belong to them, every horrible thing might just one day dissipate. Our third group is where my heart seems to draw me, and my mind likes to mumble on to itself. This is the realm in which all aspects of life have things that should be said, but it depends greatly to whom which the words are spoken to. Not everyone needs to hear your story, but at least one soul should know the real you, from the dark and gloomy sadness which lurks around your memory, haunting you in your sleep and possessing unnecessary actions, to the gentle and caring, adventurous and optimistic sides of you. We have all hurt, and everyone knows sadness. It’s about how these things are dealt with, and the life we choose to carry on with that makes us survivors or mourners.
By Alexandra Lacey5 years ago in Psyche
A Friend In You
Satisfaction to someone who feels they could never belong to anyone, is knowing that the sense of being different, or Riddled, is always there. What professionals refer to as depression, becomes this constant ally to us. We know it would never go away unless we will it too, which is quite possibly why it sticks around for so long. Even during lasting spells of happiness, we may be spoiled by joyful thoughts and pleasant actions, but once the lights go down and loneliness takes hold, we feel comforted by our dark friend.
By Alexandra Lacey5 years ago in Psyche
