It’s no secret that life is not exactly a walk in the park. But imagine having to deal with depression or anxiety or even both on top of all the day to day complications. For those who deal with situational cases (depression or anxiety caused by an event or circumstance) the battle, though still difficult, is more easily resolved through methods of counseling or simply just time. However, counseling and time do not help for some. Around 44 percent of the adult population in the U.S. alone is affected with either clinical depression or clinical anxiety. As for teens and children in the U.S., it's averaged around 12 percent of the population. For those people, the battle can expand over several years depending on the severity and, sadly, is often best helped through the use of strong medications. I know this because just over a year ago I was diagnosed with severe clinical depression and clinical anxiety.
Just from watching commercials online you know that depression causes a loss of interest and sadness. Yet, there is so much more to it than that. You have no reason to be sad, there is absolutely nothing wrong, and no matter what you do you spend every moment feeling horrible and so utterly low. When it comes to losing interest it’s not just about no longer wanting to do the things you enjoyed. Depression creates a numbing of senses due to the chemical imbalance in the brain, often causing a loss of appetite. Food tastes different, or in some cases, you don’t really taste it at all. And of course, there is the worst part of depression: thoughts or actions of suicide. Often it’s not so much a desire to kill oneself, but rather to make the hurt stop. This is also where struggles of self-harm come in.
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Anxiety seems to be the less talked about of the two, yet, in reality, more people are affected by it and more people go untreated. It is so much more than just feeling nervous about an assignment or freaked out when around large crowds of people. Clinical anxiety can affect someone at any time, any place, and in any situation. In a single day, it can go from just being a dull hum in the back of your head to extreme panic, also known as an anxiety attack. In those cases, breathing and heart rates increase. The body can begin to sweat and tremble. In your mind, you feel powerless and scared.
The two of them together create a whole other monster. Just one of them alone is difficult to live with. It affects your entire being from your social life to your time alone. Imagine having to deal with both of them at the same time. Imagine staying up all night in a state of panic and sadness for reasons that you didn’t understand. And yet there is still more that you have to deal with.
It’s true, depression and anxiety are different for every person, but there is one struggle they all share. They feel as though no one understands what they’re going through. However, those who have gone through it or are going through it understand better than someone who has never experienced it. I’ve talked to people who have also been diagnosed about what it’s like and how it feels. I find that it truly does help me. They may not understand exactly what I feel but they do understand what I say and how difficult it is.
However, not everyone can understand or relate. Trying to explain what’s going on inside to someone who doesn’t have the slightest idea is just as hard as attempting to communicate through a language barrier. For them, it’s basically the same feeling. They want to help but they have no clue how. This part can arguably be the hardest to deal with because there is only so much that can be done. You want them to understand but you can’t find words to describe it. They want to help but they don’t know where to start.
But I believe it doesn’t have to that way. Finding a way through the communication barrier is a true maze of frustration. My advice is to not rush the process. Pushing for understanding is only going to drive it further away. Try to keep calm and listen attentively. Always remember to breathe. It may be hard now but things do get better. Ask questions when dealing with doctors, don’t just except things at face value. So many times people have diagnosed situational cases as clinical. Begin with counseling before taking any medication. Lastly, have strength and take it one day at a time.
