When Depression Strikes
When I created this blog it was my intention to be as real and honest as possible. Obviously I am not going to tell the world every detail of my life, good and bad, but there are some things that I feel are necessary to share...
When Depression Strikes:
This last week has been tough for me. Specifically the last three or four days. Fortunately, I do not fall into depression slumps often, but when I do, I do! I'm talking don't want to do anything, cranky, irritable, hungry but nothing sounds good, type of slumps. Basically, everything just becomes a little more gray. The little things that come up (i.e. tripping on a door step) seem like a HUGE deal, and the small wins don't seem to matter in the slightest.
On What Causes It:
I've learned that these slumps are really just the chemicals in my brain going wonky. Most of the time I just get to ride it out and do my best to keep going. I'd like to tell you all that I can pinpoint exactly what causes these slumps so that I can prevent them in the future, but in all honesty, sometimes it just happens and that is ok. It's how I deal with it when it happens that really matters.
On Staying 'on Task':
It's really easy to fall behind during these slumps because I really don't want to do ANYTHING. So instead, I try to stick to doing what I need to do and give myself mental health breaks in between. The more I fall behind, the more the negative feelings perpetuate, so I make myself lists and prioritize. I remind myself frequently that it is okay if I don't get to all of it, but I get to complete some of it.
On Ending the Slump:
There is no one way to end the slump. I know that's not what you want to hear because that's not what I want to hear, but it's the truth. Eventually the slump always ends. It usually takes 3-5 days for mine to end, but they do end. I've noticed that the more I push myself to stay productive and the more I forgive myself the more quickly and easily the slump ends. It's about re-focusing on the positive and emphasizing the good things, instead of the negatives.
On How I Talk to Myself:
I can't stress enough how important it is to be kind to yourself during these times. The more negative self-talk you give yourself, the worse you're going to feel. So, even if you don't believe it in the moment, tell yourself what a bad ass you are and celebrate the small wins as much as you can. It will all be over soon.
My goal is to help people with this and I really hope I have helped at least one of you by typing this out. Depression is no joke and even though I experience infinitely more anxiety in my life, I still have my slumps into depression. So, even though I don't talk about it as often, I am always here.