The society we live in today has a great emphasis on tackling depression and receiving help. This is revolutionary seeing as only 30 years ago it wasn't even listed as a medical disease.
Today, depression is not a dirty word anymore. But, there are so many different outlets and self-help gurus that it can be difficult to know what will help you. One key issue I've noticed while trying to overcome my own sadness is that all of these opinions mesh together and not everyone knows how to fix you.
A lot of people push this idea of complete and utter positivity. They say the only way you will feel happy is if you ignore those sad thoughts and act as if they never existed. While that can be extremely helpful, it's important to understand that you need to be able to live with your demons if you ever want to get rid of them.
In order to help myself heal, I realized that I needed to accept the situation for what it was. Instead of pretending something never happened or that I was fine, I really needed to look deep into my subconscious and figure out how I felt about it, if it mattered to me, and if it was worth my energy.
What's truly problematic in our world is that we are influenced by so much social media. In many platforms, people are fed these ideas that you must ignore your negative thoughts because they are toxic. Yes, this is true, but only to a certain extent.
Ignoring a problem doesn't make it go away. If anything, it will build up until you explode one day. You need to love every single aspect of yourself. Including those self destructing thoughts that go through your mind. Many cases of depression are a chemical imbalance. I found that the best way to deal with mine was truly acknowledging everything I disliked about myself. The truth hurts and this is not easy, but once you see the bigger picture all of those little thoughts will eventually disappear.
Wake up and say "I don't really like who I am right now, but the most I can do today is acknowledge my feelings and accept who I am." If you are unable to embrace yourself at your lowest point, there will never be a highest point.
Dealing with depression is honestly being able to change your perception. It sounds easier said than done but you need to assume responsibility for your feelings. Most of the time our self-doubt is influenced by outside sources, but we need to accept the fact that we are letting them affect us.
Your feelings, thoughts, and fears are all a product of your own perception. Once you realize that you're in control of your happiness, those negative feelings will begin to feel like less of a baggage. I am speaking from my own personal experience with depression. I have been dealing with it since I was 10 years old, so this might not be helpful for some people.
If you are feeling complete hopelessness and no matter what you cannot accept yourself, it's important that you seek professional help. This disease is not easy, it is unique for everybody, but the worst thing you can do is ignore the thoughts you have. Acknowledge them, accept they are there, and decide your next steps.
