Depression: what is the real value of life?

Depression, death and suicide are heavily linked together. The daily experience numerous global issues such as economic recessions, personal financial problems, political instability, social and family instability (separation and divorce), insecurity, abuse and violence, all these and more create heightened anxiety, fear, trauma, frustration etc. thereby threatening many people’s state of mental and emotional stability. Frequent encounters and pressure from common day stressors in the workplace, family and society at large will continue to push our emotional well being to the brinks. Are you struggling to cope with life’s challenges and stressors? Do you know that over 21 million Nigerians are currently living with one form of mental and emotional health challenge? According to the WHO Depression:
1) Only 20% of people suffering from depression have access or even know where to really go for help with mental and emotional health issues
2) Depression will be the world’s No 2 killer and form of disability by 2020 and the world’s No 1 killer and form of disability by 2030. The first line of help for someone else who is depressed is You!!!!-
Can you spot anyone around you who has the following common symptoms of depression and immediately needs help? 1) Persistent sad or empty feeling-
2) Difficulty sleeping (sleeping too much or too little)-
3) Insomnia (early morning awakening)-
4) Feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and worthlessness-
5) Feelings of guilt-
6) Loss of interest or the ability to enjoy oneself-
7) Loss of energy or fatigue-
8) Difficulty concentrating, thinking or making decisions-
9) Changes in appetite (overeating or loss of appetite)-
10) Observable mental and physical sluggishness-
11) Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment-
12) Thoughts of death or suicide-
As an Emotions Therapist, Health Coach and Psychologist, I am trained to help people deal with this Silent Killer. It’s not just about having a bad day, or a bad week; depression is a psychological condition that needs to be quickly and Professionally dealt with. That’s one the various reasons we are doing several programs from Emotional Intelligence to Conflict Resolution to Self Mastery and Personal Power etc. Participants often Experience; a Re-awakening; An Activation of ALL the Power and Positive Energy that Lies Dormant within them; They will be Reconnected with your True Essence (Spirit and Soul). Please if you see the signs identified above (and more) or suspect that you or someone close to you may be suffering from depression. Make that Timely Decision NOW; Save a Life Today. Look for us – Call or text us 08077077000, 0809998762 NOW. - The Catalyst, Lanre Olusola

PRACTICAL THINGS YOU CAN DO TO MANAGE DEPRESSION:

The key problem areas and their respective solutions

1) Loss of interest.
Individuals that go through states of depression are usually unable to complete daily chores and also do not enjoy pleasurable activities. Positive experiences associated with a sense of achievement sometimes elude them, and this eventually affects the people around them. Evidence has shown that increased levels of activity, and participating in pleasurable experiences can help reduce depressive symptoms. Steps to increasing pleasurable activities and your sense of fulfilment and accomplishment.
a) Make a list of activities to be completed
b) Make a list of enjoyable activities
(Make sure you write down a lot of activities, also include marginally enjoyable activities)
c) Itemize your activity schedules for each day, this gives a sense of achievement when they are completed
d) Include the number of enjoyable activities and increase the amount of time allocated to these
e) Meditate on your accomplishments once the tasks have been completed. Especially meditating on the enjoyable aspects of your pleasurable activities
f) Constantly discuss with like minded people about activities they enjoy, identifying and reflecting on their positive experiences
g) Always stay focused on the positive aspect of your experiences, there’s always a positive twist to every experience, no matter how small, as you do this your experiences become more enjoyable.
2) Change your sleeping pattern.
Some symptoms of depression are over sleeping and or insomnia. Disruptive sleeping patterns can make you feel even worse. Very regular sleeping patterns are healthy and critical to recovering from depression. So how can I establish healthy sleeping patterns?
a) Make sure you wake at the same time every morning
b) Avoid sleeping or taking naps during the day.
c) Reduce your tea and coffee intake considerably and do not drink tea or coffee after 4pm
d) When you are awake at night do not lie in bed trying to sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time
e) Get up, leave the room and engage in a relaxing activity, i.e reading, listening to music or exercise
f) Return to bed immediately you feel sleepy.
3) Worrying and negative thinking.
Worrying about future events and having negative thoughts. These thinking patterns are unhealthy can reduce a person’s ability to focus on recovery and this may increase their vulnerability to other unhealthy emotions and behaviours.Changing negative thinking patterns and reducing worry is not as easy as it may seem. It can only be done by using the principle of replacement. This is an area where people often require the assistance of a coach, psychologist and professional. Some tips for learning to control worry and reducing negative thinking.
a) Immediately you start worrying about a problem, distinctly write down the problems
b) Once this is done, systematically complete a problem solving exercise.
Address each problem by examining all the positive and negative outcomes that may occur
c) Think through how realistic your negative thoughts are
d) Explore other thoughts and explanations for the circumstances
e) Keep a record of these more helpful ways of thinking
f) Avoid excessively discussing negative thoughts and encouraging negative feelings amongst others
g) Focus only on positive aspects of situations
h) Keep your mind busy and focused on tasks
i) Avoid unproductive thoughts
j) Think only positive thoughts
k) Make a list of your skills, talents, and achievements
l) Identify and appreciate the three most beautiful things in your environment m) Remember the times when you were really happy
n) Set aside a “worry time” about 20 minutes only daily,
do nothing else but think about your problems. Once the time allocated is over leave all your concerns behind and begin thinking only positive thoughts.
If you’re tempted to think about your worries, remember that you have allocated time for this and immediately revert your thoughts only to positive ones
o) Keep a journal of your thoughts, identify the negative ones and correct them
Do not make any major life decisions while depressed.i.e quitting your job, getting married, ending a marriage e.t.c.
Other symptoms are irritability, agitation and fatigue.
As a normal part of depression the feelings of irritability, agitation and fatigue are often compounded by changes in sleeping patterns and negative thinking Tips on how to manage feelings of irritability and agitation.
a) Communication: Take the time to educate and advise key support people close to you about what you are going through.
This helps them understand when you appear irritable or agitated and not because you are unhappy with them
b) Regularly thank them for their support and provide feedback on how they can best continue to support you
c) When you start feeling irritable or agitated, stop and ask yourself what is causing these emotions.
If it is a negative thought apply the steps highlighted above
If you feel fatigued, space out your activities for moments of respite
If you feel unmotivated, incorporate some enjoyable activities into your daily routine and schedule
d) Practice regular relaxation activities
e) Seek professional help regularly.
Finally, To over come depression you Must Speak Positively and Believe what you say. The reason is that negative words and beliefs are potent poisons that feed and foster depression. Your words and beliefs influence your feelings and ultimately create your future experiences. Negative words, beliefs, feelings create Negative experiences Positive words, beliefs, feelings create Positive experiences “The Power of life and death lies in the tongue”. “You have what you say; Man experiences that which he regularly confesses” “If only you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes” “If you say to this mountain be thou removed and cast into the see, and you do not doubt in your heart, you will have that which you say” - The Catalyst, Lanre Olusola Look for us – Call or text us 08077077000, 0809998762 NOW. - The Catalyst, Lanre Olusola

SOME TREATMENTS FOR DEPRESSION There are various types of treatment for depression, depending on the type of depression. Psychotherapy treatments: This provides a supportive environment to share and work through difficulties. Psychologists and psychoanalysts can strategically and skilfully help change thinking patterns and behaviors that cause depression. These techniques have been found to be much more effective than general counselling, and ultimately help reduce and control depression. Medication: A change in the balance of chemicals in the brain can impact on our mood, a lack of some specific chemicals in our brain may sometimes be responsible for feeling down, upset, fatigued, low, and sad. Antidepressant medications as prescribed by your physician can help restore the brain’s chemical balance to correct the imbalance that may be responsible for the biological symptoms of depression. Combination treatments: Some types of depression, particularly for the more severe ones, a combination of both psychological and medical treatment may be required. Spiritual: Focus on developing your level of spirituality and serving God is also a way of managing depression. Seeing God as your source, the author and finisher of your faith is critical. Depending on Him for life’s sustenance and absolutely trusting Him is important. Praying and reading the word of truth regularly creates blindness to the feelings that you hitherto would have been focusing on. For focus ultimately creates blindness. Listening to motivational and inspiring music is also very important. PRACTICAL THINGS YOU CAN DO TO MANAGE DEPRESSION: The key problem areas and their respective solutions 1) Loss of Interest. Individuals that go through states of depression are usually unable to complete daily chores and also do not enjoy pleasurable activities. Positive experiences associated with a sense of achievement sometimes elude them, and this eventually affects the people around them. Evidence has shown that increased levels of activity, and participating in pleasurable experiences can help reduce depressive symptoms. Steps to increasing pleasurable activities and your sense of fulfilment and accomplishment. a) Make a list of activities to be completed. b) Make a list of enjoyable activities (make sure you write down a lot of activities, also include marginally enjoyable activities). c) Itemize your activity schedule for each day, this gives a sense of achievement when they are completed. d) Include the number of enjoyable activities and increase the amount of time allocated to these. e) Meditate on your accomplishments once the tasks have been completed. Especially meditating on the enjoyable aspects of your pleasurable activities. f) Constantly discuss with like minded people about activities they enjoy, identifying and reflecting on their positive experiences. g) Always stay focused on the positive aspect of your experiences, there’s always a positive twist to every experience, no matter how small. As you do this your experiences become more enjoyable. 2) Change your sleeping pattern. Some symptoms of depression are over sleeping and or insomnia. Disruptive sleeping patterns can make you feel even worse. Very regular sleeping patterns are healthy and critical to recovering from depression. So How Can I Establish Healthy Sleep Patterns? a) Make sure you wake at the same time every morning. b) Avoid sleeping or taking naps during the day. c) Reduce your tea and coffee intake considerably and do not drink tea or coffee after 4pm. d) When you are awake at night do not lie in bed trying to sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time e) Get up, leave the room and engage in a relaxing activity, i.e. reading, listening to music or exercise. f) Return to bed immediately you feel sleepy. 3) Worrying and negative thinking. Worrying about future events and having negative thoughts. These thinking patterns are unhealthy and can reduce a person’s ability to focus on recovery, and this may increase their vulnerability to other unhealthy emotions and behaviours. Changing negative thinking patterns and reducing worry is not as easy as it may seem. Using the principle of replacement can only do it. This is an area where people often require the assistance of a coach, psychologist and professional. Look for us – Call or text us at 08077077000 and email us at info@olcang.com NOW. - The Catalyst, Lanre Olusola