It doesn’t matter if you are young, old, male, female, or what race you are. Depression can find its way into your life. But it is, like everything else we encounter, how we handle, embrace, or ignore our depression or someone else’s. I was about to write that there is no right or wrong way to handle depression, but that is not entirely true. However, there are positive and negative ways. That is what will determine the end result.
Depression Types
Depression does not just hit when you experience something that makes you sad. There are several types of depression. Major depression that confines a person all day and everyday in a sad and gloomy mental state. People with major depression rarely want to be around anyone, eat, or show signs of energy to complete basic tasks. This is similar to Persistent depression where a person holds the depressive state for over 2 years. A person in persistent depression may find memory loss and socialization to be troublesome.
Many have heard of postpartum depression, but did you know there is a premenstrual dysphoric disorder from severe PMS symptoms that lead the mental state of sadness and despair into a depressive state? Or how about Seasonal depression? Seasons change as the calendar moves along. In some locations around the world, the various seasons bring depressive states from living in severe climate, lack of sunshine, or the overall environment changes. Winter tends to be the most common when finding seasonal depression.
People
Depression is not just depression. There are common symptoms with unique causes. Each one of us will find a time in our lives that depression has hit us. Whether we are willing to acknowledge it or not, we will have a few days, weeks, months, or years that depression will have a hold. It is how each one of us is willing to identify it. There is this one problem. We are still not wanting to recognize it. Women are more common to acknowledge the mental disorder than men are. The stigma and the concept that it is forbidden, beneath, and just wrong to say, “hey, I am depressed” is fighting against the true need.
Look at the men in your life. You visualize a strong man that can fight any fight for you. Battle any problem you have. Provide for you and care for you. But that man also has his own battles. Mental problems he is trying to fight back. We raise our boys to not be cry-babies. But I think that is a disservice. Because everyone deserves the right to express emotions. Fears, grief, and trauma are not only impacting women. Any person that does not have the ability to release the energy their emotions build inside, have only one avenue left. And that is one, no one wants to see.
Don’t hold back
We are all going to find times in our lives that sadness, grief, lack of energy, and the overall negative outlook may hit us. Don’t let depression engulf you. Try to find ways to express, vocalize, and seek help. Everyone deserves a chance at a healthy and happy life. Men or women, children, teenage, or adults. No matter the color of your skin or the nationality you embrace. There is someone going through a struggle that is similar to yours. Someone with the ability to listen and comfort. It is okay to not be okay. It is also okay to say so. We are here with arms to hug, ears to listen, and a heart to care.
With great warmth,
