Depression can stifle you and can make you feel paralyzed. Meaning, you just don’t have the mental and emotional energy to do anything. Just to get out of bed, get something to eat, or go to the bathroom can seem like a daunting task. You can feel sick with worry, fear, and guilt. For many people, depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and it can be exacerbated by the unexpected painful twist and turns that life can bring us.
Even without a chemical imbalance, you can experience “situation depression”. For example, after years of being single you found your so called “perfect person”. Your “soulmate” suddenly ends the relationship because the other person fell in love with someone else. On top of that, you just were unexpectedly laid off from your job and you worry about making ends meet. Your feeling hurt, embarrassed, betrayed and sad. You start to doubt your self-worth and your self-confidence has dissipated. You have no interest in hang out with friends since there are all married or in relationships. Therefore, you isolate yourself even further and the depression comes in full force. It can feel all consuming, you want to escape these feelings. You feel like you are drowning, and you don’t know what to do.
Many people can relate to what I described above. Depression is real, it can feel like it came out of nowhere or perhaps it feels like it has always been with you. What is important here is to understand that there is a way out. You can get better. That first step just might be getting out bed going for a walk and building from there. What can also help is going to a doctor to find a medication regime that works for you especially in cases of long-standing depression. Engaging in meditation and mindfulness practices, calling a friend, strengthening your support system, exercising, deepening your spiritual walk, etc. can help tremendously. A therapist can support you in working through deep rooted feelings and help guide you on a path of self-healing.