[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hdWqIUojrw&index=2&list=PLQIikebAPmLWnoONVNCfK-ToC2YPeeNhq[/youtube]
Depression is complex. Are you sad or are you depressed? Dr. Sean explains the early symptoms of depression and how to cope with depression.
I have what I call a compassionate rant about depression. I work with people who are dealing with depression and I see how difficult it is in their lives. I’m up to here with how people talk about depression; we treat people as a label rather than a human beings and we have to change that.
When depression starts, it starts as a series of symptoms. Some of you might relate with some of them. You feel down, you feel unmotivated. You might not do the same things you use to do for fun. You might not be as friendly, you might be more irritable, you’re not as affective in the work place… all of these things are early signs that things are not working. They aren’t signs that’s something’s wrong with you, they are signs that something may be out of balance.
I did my PhD in over-training and burnout. And what I found with athletes is that when they get out of balance from too much physical stress, they get tired, worn out and they don’t want to do anything. But if they keep training, keep pushing and if they don’t do something about that fatigue, they start to get unmotivated. Eventually they find themselves in a pit of chronic fatigue with all the same symptoms of depression. So, in some ways, chronic fatigue is similar to depression in that it’s created by too much stress and not enough good things to rejuvenate yourself and your body.
Now, sometimes that vulnerability to imbalance has biological and neurological roots and part of that recovery process is finding the right doctor and the right medication. Sometimes it’s more about reducing the stresses in your life. Finding ways to rejuvenate yourself and be nice to yourself.
Sometimes the biggest stressors is the judgment that you hear everyday in your head for you. That thought that whirls around in your head telling you that you are not good enough. What you’re missing is that you are extraordinary. That there’s a brilliance in you, hidden from view. And you need to connect with people who see that and can bring that out in you. Ask for help. There’s no weakness at admitting to vulnerability. It takes an extraordinary amount of strength to admit to it and to ask for help. But that’s what’s going to make the difference. I call it, “Weak is tough.”
Visit Dr. Sean Richardson’s website: drseanr.com
Connect with him on Facebook and on Twitter @drseanr
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