04 November 2021
C L Gobey
Mental Health is something that the generations of today is well aware of. We can all agree that our mental health took a knock when Covid 19 knocked on our doors like an unwanted guest and decided to stay for a while.
Depression and Anxiety are the most common mental health issues young individuals face today. Personally, I suffer with both.
Mental Health issues are often overlooked and stereotyped against. For if you have depression or anxiety, you are rendered as "weak", "unable to do anything", "a liability".
For those who have little knowledge about depression or anxiety:
Depression is a mental health disorder that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act - causing significant impairment in daily life. Causes of depression can range from abuse, conflict, sudden death or loss of a loved one, tragic life event and substance abuse. Symptoms can include the persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest in usual activities. Behavioral and Physical symptoms include insomnia, appetite change, restlessness, trouble concentrating or remembering things, pessimism, constant headaches, digestive issues etc.
Anxiety is an indicator of an underlying disease when feelings become excessive, all-consuming and interfere with daily living. Causes of Anxiety can vary with different individuals but doctors believe that traumatic events or experiences can trigger anxiety in people or its genetic in their family tree.
Common symptoms include: restlessness, rapid heart rate, sweating, feelings of panic, dread or danger, trembling or muscle twitching, insomnia, diarrhea, hyperventilating and excessive crying.
As young individuals we tend to not see the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety - or we ignore them and reassure ourselves we are fine or we brush it off as us being overly dramatic. However, it is because of the lack of education and knowledge we have on such topics that we cannot identify the symptoms of said issues.
Therefore it is up to us as individuals to educate ourselves properly, on the topic of Mental Health and be aware of the symptoms.
I, myself, ignored the signs of my deteriorating mental health. It started small, from crying for absolute no reason to having 4/5 panic attacks a day. I thought it was normal I was staying up for days on end and getting 1/2 hours of sleep (I didn't realize I was suffering from insomnia) and when I did sleep it was often a restless one. For a while my father prevented me from driving and fetching my younger brother from school, because I would for the most random of reasons burst into tears while driving, have a full on panic attack and scare my brother. The symptoms got so severe, my father decided along with my mother and myself to put a pause on my studies for the year and take time for myself.
My parents and I ignored the signs for a full month before taking me to get evaluated by a psychologist who then informed us I was suffering with depression and anxiety. I was then put onto antidepressants, anxiety medication and (the worst thing ever) sleeping tablets.
The treatment for the above issues is not for the faint hearted. The medication makes you absolutely drowsy, dulls your emotions and memory loss is constant while taking the medication. Somedays I struggled to get out of bed because of the way the medication made me feel and it changed the type of person I was around my friends and family. I became more quiet (for those who know me, know that I am absolutely very loud and always laughing) distant and I was sleeping 15-17 hours everyday.
My parents became worried and decided to take me off the medication as they didn't like the person I was while taking them. For the next few months my parents and boyfriend had to deal with a string of mood swings, outbursts, crying and days when i did not want to get out of bed or leave my room. However there was a light at the end of the tunnel.
Someone recommended that I watch videos and research ways of which I could start healing and practicing better habits so that the severity of the symptoms could lessen.
I started off small and eventually integrated the helpful tips into my daily routine. Now please note, I am not saying that I have magically healed from depression or anxiety as it is a constant battle for me on certain days (One day I'm good, the next I'm sad, others I'm just trying to get by). I've just learned to deal with it and approach it in a more better and knowledgeable way than my first attempt in the beginning of the year. I have wasted a whole year succumbing to my mental health symptoms - and that is time I can never get back.
But it is time that I do not regret, because of my battle with my mental health...I ended up meeting new people that will forever stay in my life and support me whenever I need them to. (You guys know who ya'll are).
My goal for this blog post is to inform and spread awareness that if you do not take care of your mental health, it will end up being very detrimental to you physically, emotionally and psychologically.
Below are the tips and guidance I've received, researched and recommend to try in order to start the process of taking care and healing your mental health.
- Exercise: Choose certain days when you are free to indulge in Yoga, go for a run or walk your dog. Fresh air is a must when exercising.
- Meditation: helps you focus and center yourself when you are having a panic attack. Allows you to practice breathing exercises.
- Journaling: Invest in a Journal from Typo (you can get your intials pressed onto the cover to make it feel more personal) or anywhere else. Write down your thoughts, feelings and any worries you may have. Some days you will not want to write in the journal but try to push for one worded answers. Write down what you did for the day, what you ate, what song stood out for you that day etc. You can even draw your feelings out.
- Set goals and follow through with them. A goal can be small (Eg: Wake up, Make Bed, Eat something) and reward yourself for following through. Eventually build up to the larger and difficult goals that will take some time to complete. This will provide you with practice on following through with things (This is very important especially when suffering with depression, you tend to put off things or avoid them)
- Keep good company: surround yourself with people that will speak good, do good and encourage you.
- Update your Playlist. Try listening to songs that uplift your mood, inspire you, fuel you etc. Avoid depressing and sad songs.
- Go Outside, Get some fresh air, Move your body, Get some sunlight (even if you don't want to, you have to. Sunlight is good for the body).
- Sit with yourself and identify your triggers (anxiety) It is important to know your triggers and identify them so you can reduce the amount of panic attacks you may experience. Also find ways in which you can take control of your panic attack and calm yourself down.
- Reward yourself with Self Care Days: Washing your hair, Face Masks, Pedicures, Massages etc.
- Manifest all your goals. Set a positive environment for yourself. Write down Self affirmations (If you are lazy like I am, go to the app store and download an App called "I Am Affirmations". This app sends Affirmations in the form of notifications and you can set how ever many you would like to see in a day.)
Remember: take a break, be present, nothing is perfect and your feelings are validated. Love Always
Casey Leigh