Experience Is Wisdom

Light does not mean that there is no more night, but that the night can be illuminated and overcome.

I'm dancing in the rain so no one can see me crying.

Misconceptions about depression

The burgeoning frustration of being asked to "pull oneself together" The bitter truth is that you can't just drop depression overnight - and whoever says so conveys a less than helpful message. Such sayings are often due to a lack of understanding of mental illness. When relatives don't understand what's going on, they react with statements like "don't be so upset" or "Stop feeling sorry for yourself". Such statements are made whenever there is no understanding of underlying diseases and chemical abnormalities. Such comments are probably the most irritating.

Depressions are constantly mistaken for sadness It is a widespread prejudice that depression is caused by excessive sadness.

There are no small victories For people suffering from chronic depression, there are no small victories because every achievement is a great victory. While daily routine routines are quite normal for most people, they are a much greater achievement for depressive people. Almost every activity or task becomes painful agony, even simple things like taking a shower or getting dressed.

Loss of motivation means more than a normal afternoon low The low at 3:00 PM, when you feel like you need your third cup of coffee, is hardly comparable to the drop in energy levels when you are depressed. Due to this lack of motivation, a depression can feel like the muscles are no longer functioning. It makes it really difficult to go to work, to concentrate, to laugh, to focus on tasks when you suffer so much.

You have physical symptoms - and they are just as strenuous as the emotional ones In some ways, depression is seen as a state of mind, but this is a big misunderstanding. For many people, depression does indeed contain serious physical symptoms. Many people therefore do not consider themselves depressed but believe that something else is wrong. If you suffer from depression, this can worsen existing physical ailments. Other physical symptoms include restlessness, indigestion, nausea, headaches and fatigue in joints and muscles. These physical symptoms in combination with the psychological symptoms influence the normal daily routine. It's all connected.

Things that used to be fun are no longer as amusing as they used to be Depression can affect even the smallest pleasures in life. Meeting up with friends, leisure activities like golf and even intimacy with your partner - all this is not as exciting as it used to be. Depression changes life dramatically. These listlessness combined with physical symptoms are all warnings when diagnosing the disease. In order to help someone who may be in such a depression, it is advisable to approach him or her impartially and offer constant support, including help in finding a treatment option.

The problems of expressing one's feelings When you are suffering from depression, it is sometimes difficult to put into words what goes on in you because you know that not everyone around you feels the same way - especially when the disease is stigmatized. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 25 percent of all adults with mental health problems expect sympathy to be shown to people with mental health problems. Depression creates a negative image of yourself, the world and the future. Everything is perceived as through dark glasses. When people suffer from depression, they are usually convinced that no one understands them - and this is a really difficult situation.

There is no universal clinical picture Everyone experiences the depression in his or her own way, which is why one should deal sensitively with relatives who are struggling with it. The symptoms are different, the causes are different, the treatment methods are different. Work, relationships, families - this disease changes everything. Some people need medication. For others, long-term psychotherapy can be the solution. Depending on what works. I'm not saying that my way is the best for someone else. But I say that everyone can find his or her own way of healing - and the most important thing is to always stick to it. Never giving up.

There are two ways to help others overcome the agony of depression. On the one hand, any thoughts that uphold the stigma of mental illness should be banished. We need much more openness, transparency and understanding of the fact that it is okay to call depression a disease. It's not weakness. It is not a moral deficit. It is not something that the victims themselves have produced. And you have to understand that this is a very important start to help a family member with depression.

Depression can be a fresh start. By learning to feel myself better again, I can change the direction of my life. Maybe more humility is called for again. Maybe I can stop and ask myself what really matters.

What is the best present

For me, the best gift is simply time.But it really depends on the person who gives me the gift. It should be something that the person can identify with. Although material gifts are beautiful and often a nice souvenir for the future, non-material gifts can also be very delightful.A gift does not depend on its actual value, but rather on its personal value. Therefore, non-material gifts can often be much better than material ones.

Some people love themselves so little that they cannot understand when someone else loves them

Contacts

Contacts imply the willingness to show myself. Without contact to the people around me I would become even more lonely. Yes, I am actually dependent on it in difficult situations. As the mental pressure increases, help takes on a different meaning.

Open up

It's important to me to show the people around me how I feel. Dropping the mask, putting me through to others. This is not an easy task and requires a lot of effort. Feelings of shame and worthlessness are spreading. Opening up to this vulnerability is unfamiliar.

Responsibility

As long as I do not take full responsibility for myself, I will continue to wander the world, hoping to find my happiness somewhere. But where should I look if not in me? The avoidance and evasion of unpleasant feelings increasingly reduces one's own room for maneuver. Running away cannot be a permanent solution.