Mental Health
Everyone feels sad
occasionally. However, if you regularly feel sad, tearful, hopeless, or empty you may be experiencing
depression. Other symptoms of depression include:
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Irritability, frustration or angry outbursts
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Anxiety, restlessness or agitation
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Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
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Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy
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Trouble concentrating or making decisions
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Lapses in memory
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Lack of energy
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Sleeping too little or too much
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Changes in your appetite
We currently find ourselves in the fourth week of a brutal, immoral and
illegal invasion of a sovereign nation - with all the consequences for the
people of Ukraine and beyond. We are all still recouping from the aftermath of
the pandemic, the current rise in energy cost and the general cost of living.
So many things can trigger sadness into our lives. The news is filled with
horrible stories like a 17-year-old killed by a dog she owned for a week or the
news of youth getting stabbed or gunned down. Our world is ever filled with
negative news but in all this there are amazing things also happing in the
world around us.
Things are getting better: The course of history leaves us hopeful.
Human beings are making progress in politics, technology and healthcare. The
world faces big problems, but we are innovating good solutions. Our lives used
to be worse than they are now, and it looks as if they will keep improving.
Things go round in a circle of life: History is going round in circles. Nations
rise and fall. The seasons come and go. We’ve seen it all before, and we’ll see
it all again.
There are so many things aside from watching a movie that can boost your
mental health. Improving mental health is a continuous daily task and is
different for every individual. I have a friend who enjoys cleaning and reading
whenever there is a active stressor.
Depression is on the rise with 1 in 4 experiencing depressive episodes.
Some people say - do something you love to do like your hobby when you feel
depressed. It is important to understand that during depressive episodes,
people find that engaging with a task they love, sometimes does not give them
the same satisfaction or excitement they would feel when they have a healthy
mind. When expressing depression.
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Seek professional help
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Talk to a trusted friend or partner
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Seek counsel from someone you know who has overcome depression or
through support from you faith group.
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Do not seclude yourself, this makes it worse
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Identify the reason for the depression not just the symptom
Deal with the reason- if you lost a job make efforts like upskilling
yourself to get a new and better job. If you had your heart broken due to loss
of a loved one, divorce or a traumatic experience it is vital to seek the right
help and not keep trying to solve it by yourself. There is a popular saying
that 2 heads are better than 1. Avoid triggers like social media posts that
could trigger depressive episodes. Avoid the addiction of passing away time or
conducting activities to mask depression. Engage with people and in activities
that lift your spirits.
The Christian faith is all about hope: a joyful expectation for the
future, based on true events in the past, which changes everything about our
present. As a child of God, I would say pray earnestly to God to help through
the dark clouds. Weeping may come at night, but joy waits in the morning.
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