Overcoming Depression My Journey: #1 My Beginning
Depression is a silent killer
It comes into your life quietly, and causes you to feel isolated. It makes you believe that no one cares or understands what’s going on. Those voices in your head get so loud that you can barely hear anything else. Then you find yourself just wanting the voices to stop, the pain to go away, and it all to just be over.
I’ve been there. I was diagnosed with severe clinical depression. Even though I had friends and family that cared for me, I couldn’t see my way past the dark cloud that surrounded me. I had insomnia that would keep me up until just hours before I’d need to get up to start my next day, and struggled to make it through a day without just wanting to break down and cry.
I Couldn’t Concentrate
I was so tired, but yet when my head hit the pillow the silence gave way to the negative thoughts. Thoughts like, “No one likes you”, “No one wants to be your friend”, “You’re just a burden on your family”. The next day comes when the sun rises and you walk around smiling, maybe even engaging in small talk, thinking deep down, “Does this person have a clue as to how much pain I’m in? I probably shouldn’t say anything though, because they’ll think I’m a freak. Then I will definitely be alone.”
My struggle was very real and drove me to a very dark place where I had a plan. A plan to end all the voices, all the negativity and all the pain. I was in therapy and shared this with my physician. She recommended for me to go to an inpatient facility for treatment. Once there, I put on medication and going through intense therapy sessions I realized I truly didn’t want to leave this world. That being said, I still struggled for many years with ups and downs, but nothing as severe as what I had mentioned previously. However, I still dealt with the blues and feeling disconnected. All the while being told by my physician I would deal with depression for the rest of my life. That the older I got, the worse it would get and the stronger medications I would need to maintain.
After some major lifestyle changes, my view became a little different
I found my depression to be almost nonexistent. I found happiness, energy, and drive like I had never felt before. My dentist mentioned some side effects he noticed from the medications I was taking, and I’d been dealing with other side effects already. I knew something had to change. After being on these drugs for 18 years, I needed to figure out how I could get off of them. I couldn’t take the side effects and felt I could live life without them.
Now, I stress to you that this is MY JOURNEY. I’m Not a Physician and would NOT suggest anyone else to do what I’ve done. I’m merely sharing my journey since I’ve been asked many times how I did it.
Over the next few blogs, I will share with you how I used nutrition, exercise, faith, and support to combat my depression. Then I will also share my experience with detoxing off of Cymbalta.
I’m hoping that by sharing my story, I may help someone realize that it isn’t as hopeless as they may feel. If you know anyone who this may benefit please share this blog with them.
If you have any questions please comment below or send me a message.
Thank you for taking the time to read the Overcoming Depression My Journey: #1 My Beginning. If you found this information useful please share it on social media or with your friends and family.
For the rest of the blogs in this series:
