This is an excerpt from my upcoming e-book which focusses on Depression.
To understand how to get out of Depression, it is important to become aware of how it can show up in your life.
Imagine depression as a metaphor .. like you’re walking into the basement of your house.
There are 3 levels to this basement and first level is very close to the surface of the rest of your house.You can easily climb back up and engage in your daily activities.
This level One is when the symptoms of your depression are mild.
1.You feel more or less normal in the sense that your days are only minimally impacted by depression.
2.You're able to function relatively well and fulfil all of your responsibilities such as going to work, taking care of your children etc without becoming easily tired.
3.In this zone your motivation is at its highest due to your symptoms being at their mildest. So you you're mostly able to do the things that you may have been putting off doing while your symptoms were more severe.
4.You're also much more likely to want to socialise with friends and family and interact with other people.
In the next zone - Level Two you have walked further down this imaginary basement.
1.The symptoms of depression are moderately intense in this zone while you can likely still uphold your responsibilities and carry on with life, you will probably get tired much quicker than you otherwise would.
2.Feeling burned out is common and you're prone to snapping easily.
3.Socialising and or interacting with others while possible, often feels too draining.
At any point in time in this zone,things may deteriorate into a deeper more serious level.
The last zone is when the symptoms of your depression are severe - the ‘rock bottom’ level.
1.This is when it feels like there's a storm that's raging in your mind when you're in the zone.
2.You're usually being bombarded with negative thoughts.The difficult painful emotions that you feel when you're depressed are at its at their most intense.
3.You are feeling at your most miserable, worthless, unmotivated, numb, irritable, angry, ashamed, lonely, misunderstood, isolated, regretful, hopeless and/or filled with grief.
4.For example, your ability to function is significantly compromised to such an extent that fulfilling your day to day responsibilities can feel unimaginable.
And even simple tasks like getting out of bed or having a shower may feel like climbing a mountain.
5.Because your symptoms are so intense, it is common to socially withdraw. In this zone, it's common to feel so miserable, broken and hopeless that you're unable to envision the storm ever passing or feel like you can never get out of that metaphorical basement.
Most of my experience has been in treating and understanding what it feels like to experience depression with anxiety. There are very few instances where one is experiencing only Depression or Anxiety - these two are best friends.
What is it like to live with Depression & Anxiety?
Feeling drained … but also restless
Being unable to see how you’ll get through this moment .. but also worrying about the future.
Feeling lonely & isolated.. but also too overwhelmed to socialise.
Waking up exhausted.. but also being unable to sleep when night comes.
Feeling apathetic.. but also caring too much.
Remembering some things in extreme detail (especially of the past..feeling guilt etc)….. but also completely forgetting other things
Depression leads to reduced productivity and vice versa.This affects the economy and consequently the quality of each of our lives.
Unless the level of Depression is so bad that it involves psychosis or the client is catatonic; it is possible to help bring yourself or your loved one out safely from this ‘basement’ permanently - without any medications whatsoever.
If you need help & 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 to change your reality - feel free to reach out to me.
With love & gratitude,
Savvi
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