5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me About Depression

Depression is one of the most common mental health issues that people experience – and I’m one of them. In my early thirties, I was a newly married, a mother to two-year-old twins and I was co-pastoring a church with my husband. But depression was haunting me, and after fighting it for years, I collapsed. It took me 15-years to heal.

In my previous blog for Watersedge, I shared the three things that kept me going through the depression. Today, I want to share what I wish someone had told me back then. If I knew those simple truths decades ago, things may have looked different. And now, they can for you.

Here are 5 things I wish someone told me about depression when I was first diagnosed

 1. Physical Symptoms are your body’s warning alert system

Physical symptoms such as panic attacks, headaches, exhaustion, social anxiety, anger, insomnia, aches and pains are your body’s way of drawing attention to the fact that you need to take some time out to care for yourself. When you no longer have the physical, emotional or psychological resources to cope with everyday life, your body calls attention to itself in very physical ways.

 2. Practicing the things that calm you and nurture a sense of well-being will settle your anxiety, lift your spirit and energize you

What works is unique to your needs. Exercise stimulates endorphins in the brain to produce a feeling of well-being. Meditation helps you to calm and ground yourself. Massage, a warm bubble bath, a fragrant candle, music, journaling, art, are all resources that people sometimes find helpful.

Avoid self-medicating with alcohol, unprescribed medication, illicit drugs, and other potentially addictive and risk-taking behaviours.  Initially these things may bring some relief, however they are short-lived and have potentially devastating consequences.

 3. You are important. Your needs are important. Feeling guilty that you feel the way you do is unproductive and self-destructive

Here is a paradox: If you take the time to value and care for yourself, you will gradually recover your own sense of wellbeing and be able to take care of the people you love. On the other hand, when you fail to take time to care for yourself, ultimately you will be unable to care for the people you love.

4. See a counsellor

Talking to a counsellor about your experience provides you with a safe space  to explore your experience. It will give you clarity about what you need to recover your health and wellbeing. A counsellor will also help you to develop strategies for your ongoing wellness.

5. Talk to a doctor about the symptoms you are experiencing

Medication can assist you in your recovery to wellness. Anti-depressant medication is not addictive and can give you the necessary help to begin to function while you continue the counselling process. Once you begin an anti-depressant, it is important to take it as your doctor prescribes and continue to use them for at least 6 months. This gives your system time to fully recover and absorb the new messages you are learning about yourself in the counselling process.