~ Let’s open the discussion with, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I can never fully understand what you went through but know that I am proud of you being here today standing strong. You did well. You should be proud of yourself. I am proud of you.
~
Now let’s get to the hard bit,
Talking about a past or present experience with depression can be overwhelming. The many reasons we may decide not to share our struggles are all too real. Maybe we don’t want to burden others, we’re worried we’ll be bothersome or we don’t want to be judged or treated differently.
But talking about depression can be a key step in the recovery process. Most people feel better after talking to someone who cares about them. And it can also be the catalyst for a significant shift in how society views and addresses depression as a whole.
Often asking one what depression is, it is difficult to put it into words to be honest. So what is depression?
Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest affecting one's mental and physical well-being https://www.umms.org/community/conversations/past-events/lets-talk-about-depression-and-anxiety-i (for further reading).
From a personal experience, this time last year I was going through what I now know as “seasonal depression”. In more medical terms, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern, more severe in the winter.
When I tell you this time last year I was a sad mess... I had just started university as well so maybe that added to the sadness. I couldn’t function properly, I was constantly sad, crying, moody, negative. That’s when one of my friends said “Tariro, I think you’ve god seasonal depression”. During that time I lost so much weight even my family was concerned, I completely shut myself out, I disconnected myself from everyone and everything. It was so bad and I would never wish it upon my worst enemy. On God.
During this uncertain and unpredictable time in this pandemic, most of us can easily become depressed. The lack of human interaction/contact, not knowing what will happen next, constant fear of contracting the virus etc. It’s all a bit much honestly. The fear of the unknown alone is enough to cause serious depression when you least expect it. And now that we are approaching the winter months, it would be more severe in contrast to summer where you can go tan in your back garden for a few hrs.
It is proven that winter months contribute to lower production of serotonin – serotonin is a hormone that affects your mood, appetite and sleep; a lack of sunlight may lead to lower serotonin levels, which is linked to feelings of depression.
This topic will be a continuous discussion as I feel that it’s so important to talk about it and hear how different people deal with it.
Thank you for reading & stay safe x
Tarie Speaks
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