depression

It is not just a matter of feeling sad; discover an honest view of the mental, emotional and physical toll of clinical depression.

Suicide Is a Permanent Solution to a Temporary Problem
We've all heard the saying before, right? "Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem." I find this particular quote rather debatable. Why, you ask? The leading cause of suicide is depression. People claim that the problem is "temporary" when in reality, depression doesn't go away. It may go away for weeks, for months or even for years. However, it doesn't disappear forever. Depression is a crippling mental illness. It makes it difficult for you to get out of bed every morning. It makes you want to sleep all day and other times, you're up all night and all day with painful thoughts and feelings. You either stop eating altogether or you eat too much and too frequently. You start to lose interest in the things you used to enjoy. You cry all the time. You start to push loved ones away because you think they couldn't possibly understand what you're going through. Some people resort to self-harming.
By Katie Schmidt8 years ago in Psyche
Living with Depression and PTSD
I have thought long and hard regarding writing about my experience with mental health issues. Often, my self-deprecating depression will stay my hand at pressing "publish," or my PTSD will conjure up some crippling flashback to the past. But today, it felt right to talk about it; it felt right to share this with the world. Depression and PTSD take many different forms for many different people, so I don't by any means claim to be an expert. The goal is to show anyone in a dark place, anyone struggling to cope, that they are not alone.
By Catriona Boardman8 years ago in Psyche
Shadows and Ghosts
You feel it when you leave. There is an inner burning sensation, its location is random or maybe not. The sensation starts off numb but soon it’s aflame.
By Freddy Zalta8 years ago in Psyche
Making the Climb
All my life I have struggled with this sensation in my chest, well sort of in my chest. It was really centered right above my stomach and right below my sternum. For my whole life I walked around with this little black ball inside of me, I could feel it there, right underneath the surface of my skin. It always made me feel out of place somehow.
By Brittany Dolliver8 years ago in Psyche
Hiding Behind a Smile
Holding onto hope. Depression does not define you. For too long I lived my life hating who I was. It was a constant battle inside my head between who I wanted to be versus what depression would permit me to become. I allowed it to define me because of my lack of self- worth and because at the time, people had labeled me as who they saw. I was the “freak,” “miserable,” “pathetic” and “self- absorbed.” Instead of trying to understand my problem, I became the problem. Therapy and medications defined me as damaged. People withdrew from my company. I became isolated to the point that suicide seemed ideal. After all, who could possibly miss me when I was gone?
By Jess8 years ago in Psyche
The Total 100% Truth of When (and why) I Tried to Kill Myself
Picture it. Summer, 2014. It was the summer before my senior year in college. I got a job at my university living in a dorm helping out with summer camps. I lived totally on my own for the first time ever, my own private room and free time out the wazoo. And this was the year that the app Tinder was used by everyone. Obviously that included me.
By Sawyer Garrett8 years ago in Psyche
Depression
#DEPRESSION Depression is not the same as sadness, it isn't self-pity or self loathing, it's something far more internal and is usually triggered by emotions that have nothing to do with money, cars, or beautiful partners. In fact many rich, successful people with wondrously beautiful spouses suffer depression and some have even commit suicide because of it, and the worst thing is the outer world saw these people as having perfect lives simply because they owned a lot of material items and had a plush bank account so nobody even cared to notice what was going on internally. This is the problem that we have regarding depression, people think it is about outer self, that it is about not having material items or comparing to others, those are all outer things and you may want and you may very well need these items in your life but they are not enough to trigger depression if you don't have them, because there is no emotion attached to fast cars, money and luxury goods.
By Cordayne Wander8 years ago in Psyche
Coming Out As Mentally Ill; My Story
So, I have had a few 'coming out' moments in my life. Coming out as liberal in a conservative household, a tea drinker amongst coffee lovers, and of course the classic, coming out as gay. All of these things came so naturally to me, I was proud of them, and they helped shape my identity. Don't get me wrong, they were still terrifying moments, but ultimately these comings out, whether they be trivial or life changing, made me feel complete, more fully formed. Coming out as mentally ill was an entirely different kettle of fish.
By EP Jenkins8 years ago in Psyche
What Others Can’t See
Depression. A 10 letter word that over 350 million people are going through as I am typing this. There is a whole variety of different types of depression. But the one type that the majority of the people ignore is major depression. It’s the type where you stay in bed all day, staring at the ceiling. It’s quiet in the room, you can practically hear yourself breathing, but your mind is running wild, with uncalled for thoughts that you let take over. My own depression has me debate if I even wanna get up to use the restroom, because that will require me to get up, that will require me to open my door, and see the little bit of sunlight escaping the curtains in the living room and hitting the hallway that leads to my room. That will require me to drag my feet on the cold floor, and see myself in the mirror. See how messy my hair is because I don’t ever brush it unless I go to work. Otherwise it’s usually in knots after knots in a big bun. Being able to see the dark circles under my eyes from only a couple hours of sleep the night before. See how pale my skin is because I'd rather choose the comfort of my room.
By Catalina Verdugo8 years ago in Psyche
Depression
Depression is one of the most common issues for teens in America. About 30% of teens in America are actually depressed. As a parent with a teen that is depressed you might ask yourself how you can help, and you can help by paying attention to your child's feelings, stay calm when your child becomes anxious about a situation or an event (with this one if you don’t stay calm for your child, and your child can see you aren’t staying calm they might act out even more), recognize and praise small accomplishments, and don’t punish mistakes or lack of purpose.
By Michaela La Brie8 years ago in Psyche
It Is Ok to Be Broken
The word "Broken" has many perspectives, mostly negative. Most of us fear the idea of being broken. I watched myself break into pieces, parts that seems difficult to piece together. I feared that putting my self back together might be impossible and I was never going to be the same again. This thought paralyzed me and crippled my self-esteem. The fear seeped into my being, causing me to feel sad, lonely, unmotivated and ugly. This was depression, the scientific name for my brokenness. How could this have happened to me? This question lingers in the back of the victims' minds. The sheer disappointment in one's self is the preparation for war against one's mind. I felt the war within myself brewing, the anxiety swirling like a tornado.
By Devika Gonsalves8 years ago in Psyche
Depression and Its Effect
The dictionary defines depression as "a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal; sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason." Yet, the truth behind depression is more than just a definition. It is like a cloud over your emotions. It isn't pinpointed to just one or two emotions. And, when you do feel something, it is almost amplified. It is like a burning sensation, crushing you from the inside out. There are days where everylittle thing can be blocked out by depression.
By Brianna Fischer8 years ago in Psyche