Depression is a serious mental health condition affecting millions of people worldwide. It is essential to recognize the signs and symptoms of depression and to seek help if you are struggling. While it can be scary to admit that you need assistance, getting treatment for depression can make a world of difference in your life. The purpose of this story is to illustrate how easily we can lie to ourselves and ignore the signs.
Ignorance is Supposed to be Bliss
Groaning at the sound of the persistent alarm, Lily rolled over and pressed the snooze button for the fourth time that morning. Exhaustion dragged her body back into the cushions, and Lily’s legs and arms felt heavy as she lay down again. Lately, she had been unable to get up in the mornings. Even her busy schedule failed to excite her as it usually did. The soul-piercing sound of her alarm went off again just as Samantha’s head poked in through the door.
“You’re still not up yet? Come on! We will be late for the meeting. We’ve been planning this for months!” Samantha’s head disappeared as quickly as it entered, and Lily, groaning again, rolled out of bed and hurriedly started getting ready.
Hours later, Samantha stood in front of the elevator doors. Her face was flushed with success, eyes shining, and a slight blush on her cheeks enhanced the already appealing features to a point where most men passing in the hallway glanced back for a second look. Lily, however, was too preoccupied to notice; all she felt after their successful presentation was relief that it was over. Leaning against the wall, Lily closed her eyes as they waited for the elevator.
“Hello… Earth to Lily…” Samantha snapped her fingers in front of Lily’s closed eyes. “How can you even stand still? We did it! We have our first investors!” Samantha all but squealed, her excitement apparent in the pitch of her voice. “We have to go celebrate tonight!”
“Maybe tomorrow,” Lily answered.
“I was thinking we could go to Maisy’s… Wait, what?” Samantha answered with a bewildered expression. “We have been busting our asses for the last six months, working almost every night just so we could have everything ready for this presentation, and now that we reached our goal, you don’t want to celebrate? You love going to Maisy’s. What is going on?”
“Nothing, I am just tired; the last couple of months have gotten to me. But you should still go. I am sure Darius would love to join you.” Lily answered before closing her eyes again.
Samantha opened her mouth to argue, but the elevator door opened, half full of people. Knowing that Lily would not discuss it further in front of strangers, Samantha said nothing more.
The next morning, Samantha knocked on Lily’s door. “You up yet? It’s already 11:00.”
“It’s a Saturday,” Lily answered sleepily.
“I know, but you used to never sleep this late. Can I come in?” Samantha asked tentatively.
Intrigued by the gentle tone, Lily told her to enter. Samantha was not usually one that treads softly; between the two of them, Samantha was more of a bulldozer than a mediator.
“I spoke to Darius last night, and he agrees with me that you might be depressed,” Samantha said in a rushed voice like she wanted to get it out before Lily could stop her.
Lily scoffed, “No, I am not. I am just tired from all the work we did.”
“I thought so too, but Darius told me about an article in Psychology Today that outlined six signs of depression that people often ignore, and you have a lot of the signs. Please just read it and let me know what you think. I’ll text you the link.”
“Fine, but I want to sleep some more still.”
After Samantha had left, Lily felt unable to fall asleep again. Twisting and turning, she finally gave up and opened the link Samantha had sent.
Signs of a Struggle
Reading the article, Lily went through the signs of being stuck in a depressive cycle:
The first sign was a lack of pleasure in activities that used to bring joy. Lily thought about how she loved going out with friends, trying new restaurants, and exploring the city. But lately, she had been canceling plans and staying home alone. She realized that she was no longer finding pleasure in the things she used to love and spending less and less time with people she cared about. This made her feel like a horrible daughter/sister/ friend, yet she felt powerless to correct it.
The second sign was feeling like she was nowhere near where she wanted to be. Even though they had achieved great success yesterday, Lily thought it was not enough and took too long to get there… She felt utterly disconnected from the idea that she always had about herself.
The third sign is being caught up in your own thoughts and feelings. Everything felt real and overwhelming all at the same time. Logically Lily knew that it was not reasonable to feel victimized by her friends looking out for her, but emotionally she felt like Samantha and Darius had been discussing her behind her back.
The fourth sign was avoiding anything that caused her distress. Lily had been escaping into her work or playing computer games. There was always an excuse for why she could not deal with her feelings of inadequacy or not phone her Mom back. Deep down, Lily knew her Mom would know something was wrong right away. Her Mom suffered from depression, after all…
The fifth sign was being stuck in the cycle of temporary relief, only to feel worse afterward. Lily always felt guilty when she went to bed after 11:00 p.m. after playing computer games all night. Or working through the midnight hours but always “complaining” that she had no time to look after her appearance. She could not remember the last time she had applied a simple face mask or had her nails done.
The sixth sign believed that you needed to feel better to be able to do better. Lily had been making excuses about not being herself. Constantly saying that once she was no longer so tired, she could return to doing what made her happy.
Acceptance
After reading the article, Lily realized she had ignored signs of depression for far too long. Softly getting up, she entered the living room and tearily hugged a shocked Samantha.
“I’ll make an appointment with a therapist on Monday. Please hold me to it if I do not.” She asked softly. Nodding her agreement, Samantha smiled, “I am proud of you.” she whispered.
In conclusion, if you are feeling down or struggling to cope, don’t hesitate to reach out to a doctor or therapist for help. You don’t have to suffer in silence. Depression is not something that can easily be overcome without extra help.
