Is Depression Affecting Your Life?

Our lives are ours to cherish and enjoy to the fullest until we leave this place.  Too often we become consumed in the Hustle of everyday life. We lose focus on what’s important.  We get too ingrained in our work, the status quo of being rich, being famous, etc.

When you lose focus on what matters, you tend to spiral out of control because what you’re going after is not making you happy and you will fall into the cycle of being depressed for the moment or a full dive into depression, which can last for a long time if you don’t get help, or get the resources and support needed to overcome it.

Depression does not discriminate. Anyone can fall into the cycle, anyone can decide to get rid of it, but is not an easy thing to do. You need the help of others to get through it. Too many people with depression make the decision to take their own lives because they elected not to seek help or inform a loved one.

In my opinion, Depression is a mental disease that is not easy for anyone to “Let Go”.

What is depression?

According to Mind. Org, “Depression is a low mood that lasts for a long time, and affects your everyday life.” The website provides the four types of depressions listed below. Some of them you may have experienced before, know someone who has experienced or have one form of the listed depressions currently.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) – depression that usually (but not always) occurs in the winter. SAD Association provides information and advice. See our page on SAD for more information. I’ve seen this in individual whom I’ve worked with, this usually the holiday seasons.

I have experienced this myself when I am away on duty for four to six months from my kids. But I don’t let it consume my mind. I find ways to make the people who I’m with at the moment to be family. I get out of my room and have true interactions with people.

Dysthymia – continuous mild depression that lasts for two years or more. Also called persistent depressive disorder or chronic depression.

Prenatal depression – sometimes also called antenatal depression, it occurs during pregnancy.

Postnatal depression (PND) – occurs in the weeks and months after becoming a parent. Postnatal depression is usually diagnosed in women but it can affect men, too.

What causes depression?

Depression can be trigger by any situation which can cause you to become depressed.  Life situations such as a family member’s death, losing your job, a divorce, relationships, unhappiness, the list can go on.

Every New Year, we make promises to ourselves to live a better life, to make positive changes and to live a fuller life.

The thing that you have to understand that even though you get a New Year to restart, to make changes, the problems you had before does not go away. You have to find solutions to your problem, but when you don’t, everything becomes bigger, and that leads you to become depressed.

When you are depressed, it leads you not wanting to live, it leaves to you believe that no one cares you. It leaves you to believe that suicide is the best solution, it leads you to not be fully present in this world.

Everyone responds to depression in different ways, with some people you can tell from their demeanor or isolation from the world. While other people exude “Happiness” all the time. I call this the performance act! In front of others, they are the best people to be round, they are the life of the party, their life seems perfect from the outside world, but from their viewpoint, it is the opposite.

We saw this in the recent suicide cases from our celebrities Kate Spade a Fashion Designer and Anthony Bourdain who was known for his time as an extraordinary Chef who traveled the world to teach us how to live through food.

To be honest, I have never heard of Kate Spade until her suicide, or maybe I did but never focused on her products, but the UK Business Insider, gave us with an inside on who Kate Spade was, her accomplishment as a fashion designer and the cause of her suicide.

With Anthony Bourdain, it was a different feeling for me. I was shocked because I explored the world through his eyes as he traveled around the world, embracing the cultures, the food and the lives of everyone he encountered. He was a man who loved food and inspired people to take risks and live their best life

I am happy to see that the News outlet are highlighting depression and suicide and it’s a HOT topic for everyone because two celebrities committed suicide within the same week. It is sad and no one should make the choice or come to the point to end their lives.

But what about the average person who is going through the same emotions. And why are we are not making it a priority to TALK about depression and suicide among our ourselves and within our local community?

Depression affects all ages, culture, gender, and lifestyle. In my job, I have dealt with individuals who committed suicide and it impacts the organization significantly. According to Defense Suicide Prevention Office, there were a total of 118 military service member who committed suicide within the fourth quarter of 2017. This is a very high number and the Defense Suicide Prevention Office is continuing to provide resources to educate our military service members and their families. Below is the statistic that breaks down the numbers, and you can click here  to look at the comparison for 2016 and  2017 calendar year on military service members suicide counts.

• 83 suicide deaths in the Active Component
• 16 suicide deaths in the Reserves •
• 19 suicide deaths in the National Guard

We all can get, whether you are the one going through depression or you know someone who is. You have resources,  the Suicide Prevention Lifeline or you can call and chat with someone live by visiting Suicide Prevention Lifeline or call 1800 273 8255 live chats or if deaf or hard of hearing individuals need support they can call 1800-799-4899.

Question– What resources are in your local community and what are you doing to educate the people in your life?

Shevvy Mac

“Motivation. Accountability. Change”