Dont take it personally when they cancel.
There is a little bit more to what happens to the brain when it is depressed.
The connection between certain cells influences someones mood.
God & Man
This area of the brain influences memories and emotions.
As this part of the brain gets smaller neurons and transmitters begin to disappear.
You have two copies of these genes, one from both parents.
God & Man
Recently I was going through a pretty tough time.
While I was out partying and drinking and smiling at clubs like many 25-year-olds my age.
All thesymptoms were there.Loss of appetite.
Chronically exhausted no matter how much I slept.
Pulling away from people I cared about.
But I found myself popping pills walking around like a zombie and it made my depression 10X worse.
As someone who appreciates and values cognitive therapy, I didnt want that for myself.
But there I was in a waiting room once a week, talking about things I didnt want to.
But it was in those weeks a select few people helped me out of it.
In was in those few weeks when I truly needed help a select few rose to the occasion.
Understand the depressed version of themselves isnt really them.
I remember saying things that just didnt sound like me.
Rereading messages now and realizing how unfamiliar I was.
I looked the same, sounded the same but nothing about who I was in that time was me.
Understand someone on their worst day isnt an accurate depiction of who they actually are.
Listen when they want to talk.
Support them when they ask for help.
Asking for help is the hardest part about coming to terms with depression.
Praise them even though they dont believe it.
If depression had and actual voice it would sound something like:
You are worthless.
You arent good enough.
You arent pretty enough.
You arent smart enough.
Counter all of that.
Dont take it personally when they cancel.
Sometimes they just dont have the energy to do average tasks.
They dont have the energy to make it out on a Friday night.
And maybe they shouldnt be alone with their thoughts but being out wont make them escape that either.
Keep in touch with them.
It was a text message of how are you?
It was a tag that added just a little bit of hope to everything that felt hopeless within me.
It was a call once a week.
It saved me from myself.
Because sometimes someone with depression wont tell you, I appreciate you.
And something so simple does help.
Talk about daily goals.
It was really hard to not care about taking care of myself.
And the goals werent great accomplishments I was used to.
It was simple things.
Did you eat today?
Did you sleep through the night?
But the best thing it’s possible for you to do is congratulate the small battles.
Tell them, Im here.
Two words are all it takes sometimes.
