Depression

ADDEDUM: 7/3/25

THIS POST WAS WRITTEN BY ALFRED ALLEN JR.

Depression is one of the most common signs of anxiety that we see in both adults and children. Everyone has different reasons for being depressed. Whether its the loss of a loved one, financial diffculties, a traumatic event, depression will leave a lasting scar on a person. If somebody is struggling with depression, you will see a drastic dropoff in their behavior. Depression is a reflection of other mental problems that a person is struggling with. I can say this with experience because for years I struggled with depression.

In my teenage years, I had extremely low self-esteem, I always felt that i would never fit into society as a normal human being. That mentality caused me to isolate myself, have a negative view of the world, and have a destructive behavior. Depression is not something that goes away short-term. Some cases, it takes years before you see an improvement in their mental health.

Symptoms may include a lack of interest in their favorite hobbies, lack of energy, feeling unmotivated, low self-esteem, thoughts of suicide, always agitated, lack of sleep. Whenever I felt depressed, I had no energy. I would always do things at a slow pace, I didn't want to be bother by people, and I had a terrible view on life. I was not in a good space mentally for years and my depression affected the decisions I made with my life. Fortunately, I was able to overcome mental struggles with medication and determination.

Depression is very hard to overcome, but not impossible. So many people take their lives because couldn't win the battle in their mind. So how do we overcome depression? First, you have recognize that you have a problem. No matter how many people try to help you, nobody can help you if you yourself won't identify the problem. Second, you must be willing to let someone help you. Pride tells us that we can do it on our own and we don't need nobody. That mentality has led us to where we are in our situation. Medication can help lessen your depression, but it is still your responsibility to want to come out completely.

Healing starts with you. You have to want to come out of your depression more than anyone else. Being engaged in activities is a great way of getting your mind off of the things that worry you. Staying busy is very effective of keeping your mind focused. You also have to show yourself grace. Beating yourself up after you make a mistake will easily drive you into depression. Nobody is perfect, learn from your mistakes and don't repeat them. Writing this blog has help me with my depression. I don't have the time to beat myself up when I'm writing. These are some things that can help you overcome your mental struggles.