Depression
Depression
Its not at all surprising that mental distress was 8.1% higher in April 2020 than it was between 2017 and 2019.
The proportion of adults who reported a clinically significant level of psychological distress increased from 20.7% in 2019 to 29.5% in April 2020, before returning to 21.4% in July 2020 and 21.5% in September 2020
The proportion of people experiencing sleep problems increased from 16% before the pandemic to 25% in April 2020
Is there still a stigma to mental health issues? rarely do people talk about it openly… I guess because of the stigma attached to it. It takes a brave person to admit defeat to the black cloud that can sometimes rain down, and not only piss on your parade but tsunami through your yellow brick road, especially when it is unexpected. Instead you might hear people talking about how busy they are, or how stressed they are, but depressed in rarely announced. I see stress as fear. And maybe when fear isn’t addressed, depression takes hold.
I’ll start shall I? Depression. Yep. Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt and the self loathing, and in turn shame that even with all the tools, I have occasionally felt unable to rise above. Try working in my industry when you don’t feel able to help others when you usually do it so well with full integrity and pride. The blow of defeat can be catastrophic. Us therapists/yoga teachers/coaches are still human. We still fall down sometimes, and it would be BS if anybody that teaches or practices tells you they have never had the black dog mount them and hypothetically hump the happy face emoji out of them… That dog is a menace. Sometimes it's impossible to admit you feel empty and lost, and angry and scared, and hateful and and and, all the shiz that comes with life’s trials knocking you off your feet and this year has been, well, there are no words.
There are many reasons we can become depressed, and the older we get the episodes start to feel more familiar. Which can exasperate the symptoms causing an even deeper fear of failure to take over.
Everybody has different ways of coping, and wouldn’t it be nice if people spoke about it, like describing a common cold, and what we do to feel better.
My top tips, these helped me.
1-Above all don’t be afraid to reach out to your doctor.Seek medical help. Nipping things in the bud is key to recovery. Sometimes just admitting it can create a breakthrough.
2-Move your body to disperse the cortisone and adrenalin that builds up in your body.
3-If appetite is diminished, eat simply. Avoid caffeine and sugar which can make you crash like a bandicoot. Needless to say alcohol is a depressant.
4-Find a way to get out of your head and into your body, drug and alcohol free. Yoga or anything new to bring you into your body. Something you have to concentrate on. I like rock climbing, it scares the bedazzles out of me. But that feeling when your feet are back on earth is a great “I’m alive” jolt.
5-Watch comedy.
6-Journal, uncensored.
7-Set little goals, little accomplishments are a great way to alter your mood.
8-Seek the light seekers, the friends or family who can hold space for you to express yourself and really hear you, without trying to fix anything.
9-Find an awesome therapist.
10-Get the sun on your face, or the rain, or a raging wind! Nothing like nature to bring your DNA back to earth. Taking your shoes off in nature where it is safe is a great way to literally ground you.
I hope this helps.
The light is coming my friends.
Kindest Smiles
Linzi
