Sunday, November 11, 2007

Say No to Depression

I was watching "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" when my cellphone rang. Irritated, I unwillingly got myself out of bed (yes, my computer is just beside my bed) and pick up the call. Strange enough, it was a girl friend who hasn't called me for ages. Anyway, she's one of my best mate during university. So, quite happy to hear from her again.

She sounded weird and reluctant a bit when she first spoke to me. I thought she has something bad to tell me but later I found that was not the case.

Girl-friend : Hi Ryan! How are you?
Me : Good! Still alive and kicking!

Girl-friend : Hehe... so everything good?
Me : Yeah! Couldn't be better.

Girl-friend : Eh! I've got something to ask you. But err... I don't know how to ask... Hahaha...

Me : Come on! Just shoot! I won't bite!

Girl-friend : Emm... I remember you suffered from depression before. Have you recovered?

Me : Hahaha... Do I sound like I am depressing now?
Girl-friend : Well, not exactly. But I'll never know.

Later I found out that actually she suspected her sister was suffering with depression. She told me that her sister has been acting very weirdly. That poor little girl who is currently studying the third year in university has a lot in her mind. She is in fear that her secondary school-mates who hated her would come and told her current university-friends something bad about her and that she'll lose all her friends. She even worries that her friends will not like her anymore and will do something bad to her. Thus, sometime she cries suddenly, and in the next moment, she would laugh and that scares the hell out of her roommate.



Being the elder sister, my friend certainly feel worry about her emotional and depressing sister. She wouldn't know what to do except she remember she once had a trouble-some and weird friend who suffered from depression as well. And that's me!

She told me all about her sister's condition and behaviour in hope that I could help her out in some way. Well, I am not a professional counsellor nor psychiatrist. But I don't mind sharing my experience with her about my condition during depression and what a depression patient really want and need. I thought I should share some of my experience here hopefully it will help more people.

When I was depressed, I seriously lost all the trust and confident in every people. Even me myself. I trusted no one. And that all my mind was full of negativities. What if he lies to me? what if something bad happens? what if the plan fail? What if what I thought was wrong? All negativities. And the problem is I don't even trust myself.

Most of my friends were kind enough to talk to me and comfort me. Telling me that those bad things were my imagination and assumptions. Those might not be true. But I kept on worrying. But I always found excuses to disagree with them. Yes, I worried, I was anxious, I was easily frustrated. And the more I worry, the more I depressed. And even crying out loud didn't help to comfort or make anything better. I still remember I cry in front of the mirror and found myself really really stupid and that Ii was the most useless person in the world. Inferiority, unworthiness, sad, despair... suddenly all mixed up and ate me up from inside. And in the end, I felt numb and the only thing I wished to do was to ignore the whole world and fall asleep.



Well, to deal with a depressed people, I have a few suggestions. Again, I have to stress, that I am not professional and I am just speaking from my experience. As I said, normally a depression person doesn't trust anyone. That's why they always disagree with the argumant that they should stop worry and nothing bad gonna happen to them. To them, they always think that they should worry over whatever they are worrying now. However, keep talking to them. Let them know that nothing bad is gonna happen to them.

What I remember most was that I needed someone to be there. No matter what. There was this friend who told me that, no matter what I have done, no matter what I will be, and no matter how things are gonna change, she'll still be my friend. And that really comfort me. Knowing that no matter what, we will still be accepted by someone. That's really comforting.

Another thing is about family support. Family had been a really good support for me, especially my mom. I once talk about it in this post where she told me that she couldn't understand my actual problem and that she couldn't help me. But she will be there and go through that "darkness" with me. Pretty touched, really!

But most importantly, always keep depressed people company. Make sure they always have someone to talk to. And let them know whatever they're going through is just part of their life. Not all. Of course, once they go through that period, they will become much stronger! And don't treat depressed patient as if they're psycho-path people. They might act weird at times, but they don't mean it seriously. Who want to act like a mad man anyway?! It's just their mind playing trick! So ignore their abnormal behaviour! :p

Anyway, I hope I did help my friend just now. It's sad really to know that many people are getting depressed nowadays. Living in this cold harsh world, you'll never know what it can do to a fragile human. I am glad that I've gone through that. At least I could see myself getting better and better each day.

Before I end my post, I would like to share the following clip with you'al. It's the song from "The Banquet". Love the song to the max!!!

张靓颖 - 我用所有报答爱(Only For Love) MV

4 comments:

William said...

One of my best friends is suffering from clinical depression and he's alone in Germany. He cuts contact at times and that really worries me. Any good ideas?

coolgardy said...

I still do not understand why anyone would fall into depression unless it involves a person's self esteem?

Well, do help if you can, because when you do it, it shows that you have already matured from that level you have been in previously!

Mr RM said...

i wonder if prayer will help? it does for me...

savante said...

I think you just have to be there for them, to listen and lend an ear if you can. And refer them to professional help when it gets too much.