Taming the Void

Now, to begin with, I'm a sufferer of various layers of depression. That dark, sinking illness engulfing you in the unwanted embrace of numbness I like to call"The Void." We could go on forever describing all the possible adjectives associated with that awful sickness but we all know what we really want — coping mechanisms. I'm here to bestow what I've learned about how to tame the beast that I've lived with for many, many years.

Have you ever been sitting at home feeling sorry for yourself at that very sad stage of depression? Let me tell you what the best cure is — occupation.

Now, you may be wondering why I'm suggesting something so bluntly obvious...sometimes the most obvious thing can be just right.

Whenever I felt as if The Void was taking his time on bringing me into a downward spiral once again — turn on that TV, turn on some lights (brightness is a key to happiness — whether it's natural or not, you need to get out of the dark), turn up that volume. Even grab a book, do something creative, put on a lighthearted movie and just let your brain wonder into so many different realms.

Do you see the theme here? Light. I use to sit in the dark, blankets over my head and a metaphorical black cloud over my head. This is a very common side of depression but still a very unwanted one.

The common misconception of taming your depressive "mood swing" is to go out, be surrounded by company. Now, I personally suffer with severe anxiety — going out is NOT what I'm going to do, especially being social. Sometimes just being on your own can be alright, don't be afraid of that. It's just all about OCCUPYING yourself.

Try to never let yourself sink deeper. Sinking deeper will only land you in a much deeper situation, much harder to find that inner motivation to help yourself. Yes, I know, it can be ridiculously hard.

What else do you gain from this?

A sense of pride! Think of it as a childlike state of mind. When we were younger, most of us thrived from pride, a sense of "Wow, I did that!"

Now, think of yourself in one of those situations where depression is eating at you once again — think about getting up, getting some light in your room, shoving something happy in your DVD player, and getting comfy. Look at you! You got up and are trying to help yourself! Be proud! Depression is notorious for not letting you do much, but just imagine telling it "No, you're not telling me what to do" and helping yourself.

I think it's my job to also suggest finding some professional help on top of that, that's always the best choice on the table to grab some medical stuff to just be an extra friend on your journey to be "cured."

Best wishes!