My Battle with Depression: Struggles and Triumphs

Depression is a very bad mental health issue that is affecting loads of people around the world. It often leads to a state of sadness, hopelessness, and disinterest in different things. Remaining in this state for long can damage an individual, and that's why it's good to take measures to combat it early, as it can push an individual to as far as wanting to indulge in self-harm such as suicide. I for one have been in this state at different points in my life, and I'm pleased to have overcome it. Today I'll tell you a little about it and many more.

Some of the causes of depression I've noticed based on my own personal experiences are trauma, stress, disappointment, loss of loved ones, heartbreak, and the like. This isn't in any way good, and it's pretty difficult not to fall into this state after any of the above happening in our lives, and it can lead to psychological and mental health issues, even physical issues such as loss of sleep, difficulty in concentrating, fatigues, and the like, or far worse end results such as self-harm, suicide thoughts, or isolation.

Like I said, I've been in this situation on several occasions, and one of such was due to my poor academic performance at a point in my life. I was trying my best to come out in flying colors academically but ended up failing woefully, and when this became too much, I lost it and became depressed. I even got to a point where I don't want to further my education because I was tired of failing over and over again.

Another happening that led to a depressing state for me was after a heartbreak. I had at a point in my life caught my then girlfriend in the act with someone else while paying her a surprise visit, and that sight devastated me and got me traumatized and depressed. I was so hurt and just wanted to be alone, leading to me isolating myself and having different dreadful thoughts. Not forgetting it led to me having difficulty sleeping and much more.

One other or such occurrence dated back to a few years ago when I went for an interview and found out that despite doing so well, I won't be getting the job because someone else with whom I was competing for the job knew someone in the organization, and for some reason they've planned to employ him no matter what and were only doing the interview for publicity sake. This saddens me and makes me wonder if I can ever get a job since it seems you must know someone has money to bribe your way to getting a job, and if not, continuous failure can't be overruled.

In all of these three occurrences, one thing that saved me was my decision to speak up, and I must confess, had I not spoken up to someone, then there might not have been a vickoly today. I've come to understand that everyone is going through a lot, and having the right words that's comforting to say to them during difficult times can go a long way to change the tides around for good.

One thing that helped me overcome mine was that prior to this ever happening, I've surrounded myself with like-minded people who are positive thinkers and the best pals anyone can ever ask for, and this goes on to help me during my darkest days, as they came through for me in words and physical presence, helping me realize that when one door shuts, we don't give up, but brace yourself for the next one.

While learning from previous experience and mistakes to do better in the next, while it's good to seek professional assistance to overcome this state, I personally don't need one because of the set of friends I've got around me and my personal commitment to not let those occurrences put my back in the ground for long, and at the end of the day, it all pays off.

So my advice for anyone going through a difficult phrase in life is to learn to speak up to a trusted friend or family that's known to house wisdom in words and would most likely give the right advice and paraventure. If you don't have such, then it's best you seek mental health professional assistance or a counselor and the like, and it's my desire that we'll all have reasons to smile again genuinely.

All photos are mine.