Now, some people may be asking, “what is major depressive disorder?” Let me define it for you:
It is a mental health disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment to daily life.
Now that you have a general understanding of what it is, I’ll tell you my experience with it. At the time my depression was at its worst, I was a sophomore student-athlete. My life consisted of practice, classes, and hanging out with my friends. On the surface, I looked to me doing fine but underneath it all, I was drowning.
My depression looked like, staying in bed for days and excessive sleeping. My greatest accomplishment, when I would enter those depressive states, was getting out of bed to take a shower and putting on fresh pajamas to get back in bed. It looked like me neglecting my responsibilities such as: class, practice, and homework. As a result, my grades suffered miserably and now, I’m trying to play catch up with my grades because of it. The smallest tasks were chores and it took every fiber in my being to do something as small as leaving my room, doing laundry, or eating. Crying over the most minor inconveniences and isolating myself from my friends at home and at school.
Through all of that, I learned how to live with it and not let it consume my life. With therapy at La Salle I learned how to not let my feelings get the best of me. I learned how to place the little energy I do have into tasks and activities that matter. To stay away from things or people that trigger me. I learned how to confront my emotions head on and speak up when something bothers me. The most important lesson I learned though, was to not let me depression define me.
Since learning that, my life has been so much better. I’m noticeably happier. I’m not isolating myself from my friends, my grades are better, and I’m simply enjoying life a lot more. The point is, I put in the work to try and beat my depression and although I do have bad days, I no longer let it define me.
If you or someone that you know may be struggling with depression you can reach out here:
24-Hour Depression Hotline: https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/depression-hotline/
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
La Salle Counseling Center: 215-951-1355