It's with all sincerity that I share these words with you. Mental Health is as important if not more important than physical health. For a long time the connotation of depression was sad and down. This is not the case. Depression is a serious medical condition. And as we have seen recently depression can be fatal.
I've struggled with depression and anxiety for as long as I can remember. And I'm not shy to share it or talk about it. It's a part of who I am. It is something I deal with every day. On the surface, I have the American Dream, high school sweetheart, three beautiful daughters, good job, nice house in the suburbs, I don't want for anything. But relationships, possessions, and situations don't bring happiness. I take medication to deal with the physiological aspect of my disease, I have some rituals that I use to deal with the practical aspects and I have some confidants that I share thoughts and feelings with to deal with the social aspects of my illness.
I dont profess to be an expert on mental health, but I am an expert on myself. I also draw on the information I have gained from others that have shared their plight with me. I know that depression supplies you with a deep feeling of despair, hopelessness, worthlessness, general angst and the immediate thought that there is no way out. When you are deeply depressed, you can't rationalize all of the assets you have that should bring joy, you can't see the power of your support system and hell you can't even get out of bed sometimes.
Now I'm going to hop off the rails for the next few sentences. When you suffer from depression, your mental health is more important than your loved ones, it is more important than your jobs and responsibilities. When your depression is at peak, if you need to don't go to work, don't feel obligated to socialize and take the time you need to heal.
Depression as with anything operates on a spectrum. It can sometimes be small and manageable but it can also be huge and relentless. If you have depression, know where you fall on the spectrum at all times and act accordingly. If you have a loved one dealing with depression, be understanding, don't judge, don't say ignorant ass things like "you don't have anything to be depressed about." If you are just an uninterested party, educate yourself.
It's sad that it takes a few celebrity and musician's deaths to push this issue to the forefront of the public conversation. This is not an issue that is going to go away. It is something that we as a evolved society need to confront. I have had a significant amount of time to confront my own depression. If you would like a first hand account, reach out. If you need some support, if I can provide it, I will.
Take time to understand this issue. Take time to care about this issue. Take time to confront this issue.
I often say happiness is not a destination, it's a state of mind. You own your happiness. Situations, possessions and situations can contribute to happiness but are not in themselves happiness. Now why am I ending a post about depression about my thoughts on happiness? You decide!
