From Darkness to Light

Every morning while having coffee in bed, the one luxury I still afford myself as a semi-retired gal, I am fascinated by the way our security cameras change from dark to light in the different views of our property.

The section on the east side obviously lights up first as that is where the sun comes up, and it only takes a couple of minutes for all the views to change to full colour.

The changing of colours is quite a fitting reflection of our mental well-being.

Mental Illness

Why does society still talk in hushed tones about someone who has a mental illness like depression, which comes in many forms, yet physical illnesses like diabetes or high cholesterol is spoken of openly?

When I was going through a major depression that lasted for years, I learned who to be open with and who to hide my true feelings from, as those people simply do not understand that depression is not just a mood thing; something that is a totally different kettle of fish!

Major depression makes one feel like you're drowning in a deep dark cesspool, and nothing can get you out of it. The extreme anxiety and panic attacks that go with it are unbearable and doing everyday tasks become almost impossible.

Our cameras at night with some dark patches, very much like one feels when suffering from this awful illness.

In the beginning, I was open about my feelings, but some would flippantly and almost accusingly say...

Isn't it time you snapped out of it?

Do they REALLY think anyone wants to feel that way?
I mean, can you snap out of having diabetes for example?

Note only two sections have changed to colour here, and that is very much like one feels in the very beginning of depression, with more bad days than good ones.

I always was the one who saw the world through rose-tinted glasses, and encourage my friends, so what the heck was going on? I learned then who my true friends were!

There are many different types of depression - Major depression, Bipolar disorder, Postpartum depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), to name the most common ones.

I have spoken of this before, but my depression started after the confusion and anxiety following my brother's suicide. My thyroid became overactive so I was referred to a surgeon, who of course wanted to cut away the enlarged thyroid. He mistakenly cut away too much, so my metabolism went from highly overactive, to extremely low overnight; a shock to the body.

I ended up seeing an endocrinologist, which should have been the first port of call as the treatment would not have been surgery, but who was I to know this as a young woman back in the day, with no granny Google to advise!

He diagnosed me with clinical depression because of the overnight change from hyper- to hypothyroidism and put me on anti-depressants, which I took for years by the way!

I was thankful that I had some hope of getting better, and started having some good days after a period on treatment!

Suddenly, almost simultaneously four views have brightened up in the cameras, and that's how I started feeling, although it was a long and tough journey.

I have shared my road to recovery a couple of times over the years, but as it has been Mental Health Week in the UK, I thought I'd do my little bit to not only bring about awareness, but share the link of the tools I used and hopefully help someone going through this awful illness!

One cannot simply rely on tablets, but need to make use of all the tools at hand, and be patient!
You can and will get better but need to work on it slowly, using techniques that work for you, as per my tips.

Something that has really helped me these past couple of months since losing Mom Lily, has been blogging here on Hive, as it gets me to focus and get things off my chest so to speak!

Five views now are in full colour.
I now was on the road to recovery!

Many retirees tend to fall into a depressive state post-retirement, as one almost feels discarded by society.
That state of mind usually is short-lived and resolved soon, but if this continues, rather seek help, as the sooner treatment starts, the sooner you will get better!

Make use of those tools I wrote about, and speak to your loved ones as your support system is vital to your mental well-being.

As if by magic, there's a sudden change and all the views have brightened up!

Life is so worth living, and the sun is shining in your heart again, so keep on fighting that fight till you feel that light again!