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STRESS AND DEPRESSION


There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that
bleeds. - Laurell K. Hamilton, Mistral's Kiss

That is all I want in life: for this pain to seem purposeful. - Elizabeth Wurtzel, Prozac Nation

Are you happy? You wake up, survive the morning traffic, begrudgingly get to work, achieve things at work, gain more responsibility but are you any happier? You get yelled at by your boss, struggle to meet deadlines, you work harder, gain even more responsibility, get paid even more all while counting down the seconds till the clock strikes 5, dreading the struggle of the impending traffic on the commute home, you are annoyed, you want to vent out your frustrations but the local culture reveres the emotionless and stoic man, so you put up a brave front, unbeknownst to anyone that it is just a façade, a feeble attempt at masking the massive emotional bleed within you. Are you happy?

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home. We are exposed to several annoyances with each passing day, from long waiting times to various little occurrences that bring out the occasional frown and grunt. As little and inconsequential as these may seem, frequent and long-term exposure to these stressors significantly impact our mental health. So much so that, chronic stressful life situations can increase the risk of developing depression if we are unable to cope with the stressors well.



Stress Management Techniques
Stress is a normal psychological and physical reaction to positive or negative situations in your life, such as a new job or the death of a loved one. Stress in and of itself is not abnormal or bad. What is important though, is how you deal with stress. If you are having trouble coping, chronic stress can wear you down and overwhelm you. You may frequently be in a bad mood, your productivity may decrease, your relationships may suffer, you may develop sleep problems, and you might even find it difficult to go about your normal daily routine. As a result, the importance of effective methods to cope with stress cannot be understated.
Stress management is a wide spectrum of techniques and psychotherapies aimed at your level of stress, especially chronic stress, usually for the purpose of and for the motive of improving everyday functioning. It provides positive feelings of control over your life and promotes general well-being. Stress reducing techniques include a daily exercise routine, finding a hobby, writing your thoughts, feelings, and moods down and also speaking with a trusted one about what is bothering you. It is very important to keep in mind that not all techniques are going to work the same for everyone, that is why trying different stress managing techniques is crucial in order to find what techniques work best for you.
However, if you fail to cope with your stressors, the chances of depression setting in become remarkably high, as such, it is important to seek help once you start to observe signs of depression in your life.




Red Flags of Depression
  • Feeling sad or having a depressed mood
  • Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
  • Changes in appetite — weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting
  • Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
  • Loss of energy or increased fatigue
  • Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., hand-wringing or pacing) or slowed movements
  • and speech (actions observable by others)
  • Feeling worthless or guilty
  • Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
  • Thoughts of death or suicide




Symptoms must last at least two weeks for a diagnosis of depression to be made. However, if you notice any of these symptoms early, the best thing to do is to try and find a healthy coping mechanism. Strengthen your social support and seek help before it starts to impair your social and professional responsibilities.

In conclusion, it is important to analyze your everyday routine to figure out potential contributors of chronic stress you expose yourself to everyday, and then actively assign various coping mechanisms to each of them. It is up to you today to start making healthy choices, not choices that are just healthy for your body, but healthy for your mind as well because admittedly, sometimes the worst place you can be at, is in your own head!

Mohammed-Sherrif Fuseini

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