A few months ago, I had to have a difficult conversation with a very good friend. I sensed that he was experiencing some depression and it was impacting his mindset, ability to focus, and ability to get things done. I found an article that had some symptoms of depression and emailed it to him and when we talked about the signs and symptoms, he agreed. His brother had died a few months earlier and I felt like he never really dealt with the grief associated with this loss. Also, he was handling the estate which was creating stress with one of his sisters, and old wounds from childhood were surfacing that caused more frustration and sadness. Combine the Season of COVID Care and well, it was the perfect storm.
One of my best friends was also experiencing signs of depression, I called her and we talked about some of the dynamics. Her enthusiasm for work was diminishing, she lacked energy for the things she usually loved to enjoy and she was sad because of the continued isolation that this season of COVID Care had created. We talked about the importance of mindset, exercise, journaling thoughts, key essential oils, diet changes, sleep cycles, and the value of exploring a future career change. I delivered a care package to her front porch that included: a candle, journal, coffee mug that said, “You are my person” and a book by Joel Osteen. I was so proud of my friend because she gave herself permission to unplug, turned her phone off and within a few days, I saw signs of my bright and cheery friend return. Please remember you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others.
My former golf coach, Tony Piparo, who is also a psychologist said, “In my work, I have found that Depression is a combination of a runaway Negative Programming Cycle and an Overactive Fight-or-flight Reflex, that together devastate self-esteem and spirals down into feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Both of these can be addressed and overcome through the proper information, training, and support.” To learn more about Tony and connect, please visit: www.thepeaksolution.com.
During some of my research, I found an article “5 Proven Ways to Relieve COVID-Related Depression. Try these self-guided practices in mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy.”
Posted Aug 16, 2020 by Seth J. Gillihan Ph.D. in the Psychology Today blog.
My hope and prayer are that this information will give you or people you know help if they are experiencing signs of depression.
Blessings,
Merikay
