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:

·      Irritability, frustration or angry outbursts
·      Anxiety, restlessness or agitation
·      Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
·      Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy
·      Trouble concentrating or making decisions
·      Lapses in memory
·      Lack of energy
·      Sleeping too little or too much
·      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.

·      Seek professional help

·      Talk to a trusted friend or partner 

·      Seek counsel from someone you know who has overcome depression or through support from you faith group.

·      Do not seclude yourself, this makes it worse

·      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.