Happy Thursday,
How is everyone doing today? Are you ready for the weekend? Looks like we may have rain in our forecast, which is much needed. Maybe with some rain it can help with the fires here in SoCal. It’s scary when fires are so out of control and those first responders are out there putting their lives on the line for their communities. Those firefighters and other agencies are very much appreciated. Anyway, hoping things settle for those affected.
My weekend is going to be non-stop. Tomorrow, I get to enjoy my son for a movie night, then Saturday I get to go to a chili cook-off and Sunday, I am honored to be able to attend the 9-11 event here in the lake. I am so overwhelmed with gratitude and in awe of how this community in which I live, remembers the 9-11 attacks and the day that forever changed the lives of all of us. It really is a wonderful way my neighbors remember. I hope to grab some photos, so maybe I can share those with you next week.
Today I wanted to talk a little bit about depression and unhappiness. See, I wonder if sometimes we group the two into the same category. Makes you wonder, are they the same or is there a difference? According to http://www.healthyplace.com/blogs, they say, “unhappy people know they’re unhappy and realize it is a temporary emotion brought on by a sad event, and they see a light at the end of the tunnel. Unhappy people know they will feel happy again, in time. Depressed people often feel sad, but can’t pinpoint a reason why, or they feel a type of nothingness-no sadness, no happiness, no hope. A depressed person’s tunnel is long and twisty, blocking the light at the end from view.”
I was talking with someone the other day and in the course of our conversation, all he could tell me was he lives in hell. I didn’t have too much to say, I let him vent, not because I didn’t want to say anything, but because, there was nothing to say. He sees no way out of any of the life challenges he faces, other than, not existing anymore. He’s so numb to the thought of life being anything but bad for him. He is beyond resentful for the medical field not being able to help him. When he was sharing his resentment towards the doctors in his world, he stated they just don’t care. He’s been telling them he needs help for about two years, and he claims they don’t listen or care. I can’t comment on that being either true or false, because I’m not in on his visits, but he has said, they have told him to check into the mental facility near his home. I asked him why he doesn’t do this, and he said, because he can’t check out when he wants to. So, the only conclusion I can draw at this time is, he wants help only on his terms. Now the question arises again, is he depressed, unhappy, or just angry at life?
I believe he is depressed and consumed with so much anger, which makes him unhappy. It makes me sad that he can’t find anything to be positive about. I told him I’ll always be here to listen, but he lashed out at me and said he won’t be talking to me anymore. He got angry with me when I told him to not give up and would he like me to call someone for him. He said it’s none of my business to suggest I call someone to help him, and there you have it. I was hurt by his comment, but when I talked with Martin, he helped me see that this person was turning his life circumstances into a reason to lash out. Martin also explained, this person is in such a dark place, and he needs help, right now though, he’s not ready, so he suggested, I simply leave the doors of communication open, should he reach out again.
Depression is a hard thing to deal with. I’ve been there, to the point where I needed to check myself into a four-month outpatient intense therapy program. I learned on my journey to recovery, it’s one of the hardest things to do. It was so difficult facing my “demons’ and the things that contributed to me becoming so numb to anything and everything in life. I gave up and I didn’t care about anything anymore. I was put on medication to help me. I still have to check in every once in a while, to make sure I’m not slipping back into that place of darkness and guess what, that’s okay. If I learned nothing else, I learned that mental health challenges are real, and they are not taboo and it’s okay to ask for help. It doesn’t make a person weak, on the contrary, it shows strength.
I’ve also been unhappy and been in a super dark place with those feelings. While sitting in depression and unhappiness, I will tell you, it’s possible for your mind to become so foggy, you can’t tell the difference between the two. They seem to meld together. I will say, if you are feeling like you are in a dark place, seek medical attention right now. Let the experts help you on your journey to becoming happy and mentally healthy again.
I know for me, when I feel blue or unhappy, if I surround myself with the things I love to do, it helps put me in a better state of mind. Going for walks on the beach and being in nature are two things that I find beneficial for my mental health. That’s what works for me, however, we are all individuals, so what works for me might not work for you.
Depression and unhappiness, in my opinion, both need to be addressed, acknowledged and talked about. As a community of people, we need to accept people the way they are and help each other, check in with one another from time to time and show less judgement for one another, especially when we can’t understand what each of us are going through.
Life is hard, we all face challenges, some face them better than others, and that’s okay too. If we can learn from others, listen a little more, be kinder, maybe mental health can be less of a hush hush subject and those suffering can be helped a little bit better and faster, knowing, they’re not alone. “Don’t forget that you’re human. It’s okay to have a meltdown. Just don’t unpack and live there. Cry it out and then refocus on where you are headed.”-quotesandhacks.com.
The important part of that quote is to remember, we’re human. When suffering from depression it isn’t always easy to refocus, sometimes, we need the medical help, yet, if by chance we do see that we aren’t in a good place, maybe we can recognize we aren’t headed to the best of places, maybe that’s the signal, to reach out and get some help and if it’s unhappiness we are facing, could we discern what it is that put us on that path? Could we refocus on a better. healthier path?
I guess all I can do is suggest this to you, my amazing readers. Darkness is no laughing matter, and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Perhaps the best thing we can do, is check in with ourselves and with our medical professionals and find out what it is exactly we are enduring. Talk to someone you trust and who you know has your best interest at heart. If that someone suggests mental health care, know that they are seeing or hearing something that is alarming to them and take them up on that suggestion. It’s okay if you need help. We all do at one time or another.
Life is full of, not only challenges, but unknowns. I hope one day, mental health isn’t such a hush word. I hope one day, we can all see the world through an amazing, clear lenses, instead of a darkness that so many face today.
Drop me a comment and let me know what you think of the blog. I love hearing from you and please, if there’s anything I’m off base with, let me know. I never want to misguide any of my readers or anyone else.
Enjoy your day and I hope, you can open your hearts, listen, and evolve today. Until next time, have the best day ever. Hugs
here’s a link to my podcast, Have You Evolved Today, take a listen and let me know what you think.
Have you evolved today? 