I knew from the beginning of term that the Introduction to Psychology 1105 course would be an interesting one based on what I was currently going through in my personal life. I was a bit apprehensive because while I wanted to learn more about what I was going through, I knew that I would begin to feel a certain way emotionally and it may bring up some emotions that I had filed away in the back of my memory. I found throughout the course that many of us, myself and my classmates, all encountered stress and are seeking ways to successfully manage it. However, one of the main topics that stuck out the most was Mood Disorders, more specifically depression. How many people actually suffer from depression and are too scared to ask for help? Do they just tell themselves they are just experiencing sadness and it will pass? This question really stuck with me during week 5 because I have done this myself. “Statistics show that approximately 26 percent of adults and 20 percent of children experience diagnosable mental health conditions each year. However, few individuals utilize the needed services when it comes to seeking treatment from professionals such as a psychologist or therapist” (Ph.D., 2012). Why is it that so few people seek treatment when it is almost easily available? Is it that they are scared to become a part of a stigma that surrounds depression? The social bias that comes with depression is enough to push fear on a person that suffers from it because it just injects more fear of what people will think about them. In my personal experience, I was scared to talk to anyone about what I was going through because they had already heard enough about how I had been laid off from work and was having a hard time finding a job, I was frustrated for not being able to lose weight, or because my personal relationships were going down the drain, the list can go on and on. I no longer wanted to burden anyone with what I was going through because I told myself that they were tired of hearing my pity party.
Almost even more important is having the ability to recognize the signs that you, yourself, may be suffering from a mood disorder. When it comes to depression, the steps to recognize and encourage someone to seek treatment is different. While we want to help, it is important to remember that someone suffering from a disorder may not want the help because they, themselves, may not want to recognize that they may be suffering. We, the outsiders, may begin to recognize some symptoms of depression but may not associate it with depression. For instance, I had shared my sudden bout of insomnia that was getting worse and worse each day and my anxiety with some close friends but no one asked if maybe I was struggling with depression. I was having a hard time falling asleep and eventually it got to the point that I wasn’t able to fall asleep until 8 or 9 o’clock in the morning. I would then only sleep for a few hours which led to me being constantly tired and becoming more and more irritable. Sure, I had tried sleep aids from natural relaxation techniques to zzzquil, and even alcohol. Nothing was helping. During the same time frame my (self-diagnosed) anxiety began getting worse and worse. I was staying in bed all but a few hours a day, struggling to even leave it. I was crying for literally hours at a time yet I was unable to explain why. I constantly had the feeling of drinking a pot of strong coffee or 6 energy drinks, even though I don’t drink either, where the adrenaline was just pulsing through my body yet I was very jumpy. Overall I felt so inadequate in so many aspects of life. Of course, had someone mentioned depression to me I would’ve passed it off as several life changes happening at once and I would be fine and I just needed someone to vent to. Does any of this sound familiar to anyone else? In her blog titled, Depression Part Two, Allie Brosh says, “But people want to help. So they try harder to make you feel hopeful and positive about the situation. You explain it again, hoping they'll try a less hope-centric approach, but re-explaining your total inability to experience joy inevitably sounds kind of negative; like maybe you WANT to be depressed” (Brosh, 2013). *sidenote: if you ever have a change, I encourage everyone to read that blog - my personal favorite is the god of cake!
For the week 5 discussion we were given an option of several TED Talks to watch. I was very glad that I decided to watch Kevin Breel’s talk where discusses his own depression and how he has learned to personally cope with it. During the talk, Breel mentioned something that truly made me think. He says " Real depression isn't being sad when something in your life goes wrong. Real depression is being sad when everything in your life is going right" (Breel, 2013). Too many times do we mention depression when we are truly just going through a natural phase of sadness due to a certain circumstance at the present moment in life. I know that I have said before that I was depressed but it was just sadness and I was only dwelling on it. So how does someone know that they, or someone they know, could be suffering from depression? The textbook for this course (Spielman, 2016)states: To receive a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, one must experience a total of five symptoms for at least a two-week period; these symptoms must cause significant distress or impair normal functioning, and they must not be caused by substances or a medical condition. At least one of the two symptoms mentioned above must be present, plus any combination of the following symptoms (APA, 2013):
• significant weight loss (when not dieting) or weight gain and/or significant decrease or increase in appetite;
• difficulty falling asleep or sleeping too much;
• psychomotor agitation (the person is noticeably fidgety and jittery, demonstrated by behaviors like the inability to sit, pacing, hand-wringing, pulling or rubbing of the skin, clothing, or other objects) or psychomotor retardation (the person talks and moves slowly, for example, talking softly, very little, or in a monotone);
• fatigue or loss of energy;
• feelings of worthlessness or guilt;
• difficulty concentrating and indecisiveness; and
• suicidal ideation: thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), thinking about or planning suicide, or making an actual suicide attempt.
Why must your symptoms be present for at least two weeks though? Does a time-frame of two weeks really show a difference between sadness and depression? How many people do you think may actually suffer from depression but don't know enough to put two and two together and go see a doctor or talk to someone about it? Kevin Breel was right that depression is a massive problem right now that is not talked about enough. How many of us do see it on social media but just keep scrolling when, in fact, they could be reaching out for help because they feel this is their only outlet? " ... the stigma in our society around depression is very real" and what are we doing to become more educated about it besides taking a course, most likely because it is a prerequisite for whatever program you are enrolled in? I loved the way Breel ended his talk and agree very much with him, we do need to speak up. " So we need to stop the ignorance, stop the intolerance, stop the stigma, and stop the silence, and we need to take away the taboos, take a look at the truth, and start talking, because the only way we're going to beat a problem that people are battling alone is by standing strong together, by standing strong together" (Breel, 2013).
Many may ask, why did you decide to open up about some of your personal struggles? First, I am going to lead by example and not only talk about it to others and share my personal life but actually continue to work on natural cures and self coping mechanisms such as working out (exercise), hot yoga (meditation and relaxation), social interaction (not only talking to friends but leaving the house to physically interact with them), and actually go outside when it is still daylight. I am taking the steps that I need to take for myself in recognizing that I may have an illness. It is not just being unemployed and frustrated because I'm having a hard time finding a job, it's not just a personal relationship gone sour, it is not just a bout of insomnia, it is not just sadness due to life coming down on me (when it rains, it pours), it is not just stress from being overwhelmed with school. After reading the text on this particular subject I learned there are several "twitches" or "habits" I have that could indeed be signs of depression. However, I am stronger than depression and will overcome whatever it is that I am battling.
If we start with ourselves and learn what we can to accept and recognize psychological health, then perhaps those that suffer with depression would be more willing to seek treatment. By removing the stigma associated, perhaps more people, whether they realize they suffer from a mood disorder or not, will come forward to seek treatment without fearing that it is socially unacceptable. By not only advocating for those that do have mood disorders, but also those that are unaware, we can come together for community awareness.
References
Breel, K. (2013, May). Confessions of a Depressed Comic. Retrieved from www.ted.com: https://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_breel_confessions_of_a_depressed_comic
Brosh, A. (2013, May 9). Depression Part Two. Retrieved from Hyperbole and a Half: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depression-part-two.html
Ph.D., E. A. (2012, October 25). Stigma and Mental Health. Retrieved from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-race-good-health/201210/stigma-and-mental-health Spielman, R. M. (2016). Psychology. Houston, Tx: Openstax.
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