Hey you! Yes, I’m talking to you. Did you know that according to the WHO one-in-four people suffer from depression at one point in their lives? In 2011 the National Institute for Mental Health found that 30% of college students reported feeling so depressed that it was “difficult to function.” That is a lot of people feeling very, very down. Whether or not you’re among the group, I can guarantee that you know someone living with depression, even if you don’t know it.
Depression doesn’t just mean sitting in your room listening to Fall Out Boy and weeping. It means feeling isolated, alone and unwanted. It means that no matter how many people say they love you and they care, you can’t feel it because you don’t feel that way about yourself. And that is the root of the problem. If you can’t love yourself, there is no way to love your friends, family or hobbies the way that you used to. Life is numb without love.
But you can change. It’s a long and slow journey, but you can beat depression. There are good days and bad, but if you take each day hour by hour, love and happiness will find a way back to you. Take a minute to learn how to love yourself and then send the message on to someone else who needs a refresher course in self-appreciation.
Forgive Yourself
Forgive Others
Remind Yourself You Matter
Think About It
Love You for You
Spread the Love
Full Disclosure
None of these steps are a substitute for seeking help. If you or someone you know shows signs of a mental illness, please reach out. Talk to a trusted professor, advisor or parent. Deaths related to a troubled mind are completely preventable if you look for the signs and act on them as soon as you can. For more information please visit: Mental Health America.