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The big bad word no one wants to speak about.

 

 

“DEPRESSION” It seems people are almost afraid of this word. Is it the word itself? or is it the meaning of the word? Is it the fact that we live in a judgmental society where all of these real-life issues like “Depression” is not spoken about as much as it should be?

Often people hear of a “Friend” who may be depressed and they almost whisper it under their health in case someone hears them.  Like it is something to be ashamed of?

I would be more ashamed of the idea of someone trying to hide the fact they have depression and I would be so proud of the person who openly says they are battling with depression because they are not allowing society to control them.

Don’t let other people’s narrow-minded views affect you and bring you down. Know your values, know your beliefs and never be ashamed of having this difficult trauma of depression.

We live in a world where people claim to know everything about anything. NO, it’s not true. We need to educate ourselves to have an educated and academic opinion on such topic. So many of us go through depression so we can relate to another person who has or is suffering and a lot of the time it helps speaking to another person about it as they “get it”

I look back on my life and through loss, trauma, and shock in my life I can honestly say I have struggled with bouts of depression and yes at times I denied it, like the time I was at home changing Xavier and my aunt said to me “Emma, I think you have postnatal depression” and like most people would react It didn’t go down too well. I guess it was because deep down I knew she was right.

Looking back it was the best thing she could have said to me because from that moment on I became aware of my feelings, my thoughts, my moods. I began to speak more about my feelings and how I was so up and down.

I never went down the route of medication although every time I went to the doctor they just prescribed me with a pill. I always took the prescription and threw it in the bin, I never resorted to this purely because I was afraid of how it would affect me and I was very conscious of the fact that I need to be alert at all times for the kids.

I found that becoming a mother, although it was and is a beautiful gift to become it also brought about so many challenges and struggles with my emotions. You don’t know why it’s happening at the time but it is an awful feeling.

You just bring life into the world and it is in one sense he happiest you have ever been but in the other sense you have the is feeling of no self-worth, no confidence, low self-esteem, you begin to doubt yourself as a mother, you doubt your ability to be successful, you struggle with motivation, sometimes don’t want to leave the house, don’t answer the phone to friends and family but instead send a txt when it stops ringing and make up some excuse like “Can’t answer I’m feeding the baby” or “The baby is sleeping” the list cold go on and on.

Speaking to mothers on a daily basis I know we all go through similar motions, I have learned a lot about myself since becoming a mother and I embrace each moment and opportunity that comes my way but it wasn’t always that way.

Going through depression and dealing with it, going through the motions, counseling, figuring yourself out, learning to like yourself again, training your brain to think more positively and being aware of your feelings.  it doesn’t just go away. If you have depression you have depression it is not just as simple as taking a tablet and oh you are fixed no not at all. It is a lifelong journey that may creep in and out of your life at times but being aware and understanding depression will help you manage it.

Symptoms of depression:

Feeling sad or down a lot of the time, even when there’s no reason.
Feelings of despair that you can’t escape.
A lack of feeling or emotion. You don’t feel anything and have lost the ability to feel happy.
Feeling exhausted and lacking energy all the time.
Continuous and long mood swings, when you change from feeling happy to despairing, sorrowful or angry and irritable.
The things that used to give you enjoyment or make you happy leave you feeling numb or uninterested.
Feeling that you don’t want to talk to family or friends.
Difficulty concentrating or a losing interest in your work.
Putting on or losing a lot of weight.
Different sleep patterns. You might not be able to fall asleep or you can’t get up in the morning.
Some women suffer from postnatal depression after having a baby.
Feeling guilty for doing something terrible or feeling worthless as a person.
Feeling so bad that you think it would be a relief to die or hurt yourself.
What causes depression?

A build-up of sere & Anxiety
Alcohol & Drug abuse
A chemical imbalance in the brain
Greif or a serious life change
Depression can run in families
There are many reasons we can get depression and these are just a few, remember whatever the reason always remember it is not your fault.  We are all human and sometimes life throws curveballs at us which can lead to a lot of stress.

Treatments for depression?

Counseling – speaking to a stranger can be so beneficial, someone who is trained in dealing with depression, in a non-judgmental environment.
Self-therapy – Yoga, relaxation exercises, meditation, reading – find out what works for you. Learn how to switch off.
Support groups – check your local area for support groups – trust me you are not alone.
Take better care of yourself – Through your activity levels and your nutrition. By eating better you naturally feel better within yourself.  Regular exercise is known to have a positive impact on your lifestyle.
Speak to your doctor.
If you feel you have depression here are some very useful organizations which are all confidential.

https://www.jigsaw.ie/jigsaw/

https://www.samaritans.org/your-community/samaritans-ireland-scotland-and-wales/samaritans-ireland

https://spunout.ie/help/service/jigsaw

 

 

Dont suffer alone.

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