Two years ago, I wanted to die.
It hurts to breathe, literally. I would wake up every morning wishing I was dead, or wishing to be over by a bus on my way to school. If you are not hurting you’d wish you were, just to feel something, because the numbness is torture. You stop caring. You stop caring for anything. You just want to die. You want to fall asleep and never wake up. I remember when I was alone in our house I planned to drown myself in a bathtub. I had no hope
I was clinically depressed by very young age and felt like my life could never be better.
I was clinically depressed and felt like my life could never get better.
Then here comes the complicated thoughts. Those were my interpretation of hell, my own mental prison. I had lost control of my mind and my thoughts. Depressive thought patterns are the worst. I can not find the words to describe them so I did nothing and I can’t stop it.
Then started to eat. I ate so much until I got addicted to food. Food made me feel so much unhealthy.
Food was the only thing I loved. I would eat and then I would feel guilty about the food I ate, and then I would eat some more. A lot more. The end result was a lazy fat unmotivated girl.
My depression and my body issues made things even worse. I rejected all of the invitations of my friends to hang-out because I feel ashamed. I almost got to the point where I spent 3 months without leaving my room.
To cope with the pain I started smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol until I fell asleep.
I had no hope.
Not until I seek out help from my mother and she reach out a Psychologist to address my problem.
How Counseling Psychology comes in?
The American Psychological Association said counseling psychology addresses the emotional, social, work, school and physical health concerns people may have at different stages in their lives, focusing on typical life stresses and more severe issues with which people may struggle as individuals and as a part of families, groups and organizations.
Counseling psychologists help people with physical, emotional and mental health issues improve their sense of well‐being, alleviate feelings of distress and resolve crises. They also provide assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of more severe psychological symptoms.
The problems addressed by counseling psychology are addressed from environmental and cultural perspectives. Counseling psychologists work with individual clients of all ages, such as children who have behavioral problems; late adolescents with educational and career concerns or substance abuse problems; adults facing marital or family difficulties, career changes, or overcoming disabilities and older adults facing retirement.
Interventions used by Counseling Psychologists may be either brief or long-term they are often problem specific or goal orient but in my case they are huge boost.
I’ve got valuable advice and after implementing, my life started to shift. I went from depressed and hopeless to living the life of my dreams and getting into an amazing relationships. It didn’t happen overnight and if you’re willing to take action and be patient, you can beat depression.
(Note this idea was originally from our counselling psychologist)
Step 1: Get 7-8 Hours of High Quality Sleep
Sleep is incredibly important. Sleep deprivation will can cause a lot of bad effects on our health. It also doubles your depression and anxiety. Now do a favor for yourself to relax a little bit.
Step 2: Exercise Outside for 60 Minutes a Day
They said that one of the causes of depression was lack of physical activtiy
Exercise will Improve discipline, impulse control, and decision making
In fact, there are SO many benefits to exercise, that just 150 minutes of exercise (that’s 30 minutes every weekday) is more than sufficient to improve your mood, and general well being.
Step 3: Read about Stoicism
Stoicism is philosophy that tackles the endurance of pain or hardship without the display of feelings and without complaint. The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. It focuses more on the Philosophy but if you give time to check out. This philosophy might be life changing.
Step 4: Work with a Professional To Get Faster Results in Half the Time
A mentor can say the right words to someone at exactly the right moment they need to hear it. And It can be life changing. Of course there’s no faster way to learn if there’s someone will guide you and assist you to overcome the obstacle you’re facing in your life.
There’s a bunch of psychological tips and advices in the internet but none of it will give you a result better than having a coach or mentor.
One last thing
Never, never, never give up.
The best suggestion I’d give you for fighting depression will always be this: You may feel hopeless and without ways to get better, but do not give up, it is just a symptom of depression itself. And if you feel you can’t ask for help.
That is all.
I strongly suggest you to try the above steps and then let me know if you need help more.