Dealing With Depression Part 1: At the Individual Level

Knowing that you have a problem is good but not good enough. Knowing that you are suffering from a particular ailment is good but not good enough. Identifying problems and not giving their solutions can be more dangerous than the problem itself. It leaves people desperate and worried about their well-being, and it can well lead to premature death! If you don’t have possible solutions, I will encourage you to hush it till you have some solutions. I mean, how do you want me to contain the truth that I have the germ of death in my bloodstream, yet no solutions are forthcoming?

Therefore, having read the article ‘Signs that you Could be on a Path to Depression’, you are confronted with begging the question, what next? Knowing that you are depressed or a potential candidate for depression is one thing, but the solution is another and the most important. I am not suggesting that ignorance is beneficial; instead,  I advocate for identifying problems and suggesting possible solutions. By this, I have placed a knife on my own neck, for I must look for something to offer now. 

How do we deal with depression or potential depression?  I will look into this in a two-way step that can apply to all of us. We face depression in various steps, all of them vacillating between family and individual. You may find yourself in a solo depressed state with no one to lean on. As well, you may need to care for a depressed friend or family. Today we will tackle the first one.

Facing depression as an individual

This could be the hardest one. It is easy to stand in for a grieving soul, but being your own pillar can be a hard pill to swallow. Doctors can be confounded when it comes to working on their own person. Using the techniques that we have learned so far, you can diagnose yourself with depression. 

The first most important thing is acceptance. Most people deny facts and assume the troubles of life. Accept that it is not all well. That it is more than you can handle, and so you must seek a way out. Acceptance means that you are giving room for the healing process to take the course.

Secondly, seek professional help. This calls for a high degree of trust. Ensure the person you are reaching out to is someone you can trust. The reason being, they don’t know what you are going through, and they can only assist to the extent that you open up. This means that you must be able to open up to them about the things eating you up. A trusted, experienced adult, a professional counselor, a religious leader, etc., could be a good person to confide in. 

Finally, you must learn to forgive yourself. Don’t define yourself in terms of the trouble at hand. You must borrow the business concept of limited liability by treating your predicament and yourself as two separate entities. You are just still as worthy as you would have been without the challenge you are forced to handle. You are just an unfortunate human being to be the one going through it this time around, and it must not be your permanent identity. 

Dealing with depression personally is hard, but it could be the best if you can afford to. No worries of prying eyes and accusing fingers of third parties. All will fall into place without having to go through the inconvenience of going to another person. If you learn this, you are a resource. You will be useful in the world.