I polled my audience asking what they most want to know about depression and the top four questions were:
- Why am I depressed?
- How can I help myself through this depression?
- Is there something deeply wrong with me that I can’t be happy?
- As an empath, how can I stop taking on other people’s energy/emotions?
Dear readers, as promised, I answered your questions in this special video below. Please keep in mind I’m not a medical professional and the insights and advice given here are strictly from my own personal experience, having struggled with major depression myself in my late teens/early twenties and coming out on the other side where joy, light, love and playfulness exist in abundance.
And also, please be kind, this is my first video rant! 🙂
What’s Covered In This Video:
- “How can I help myself through this depression?” (00:43)
- Tree’s story of being diagnosed with manic depression
- To take medication or not to take meds?
- How Tree got better
- Don’t underestimate the power of nutrition as a major factor in depression
- “Is there something deeply wrong with me that I can’t be happy?” (09:53)
- “As an empath, how can I stop taking on other people’s energy/emotions?” and “Why am I depressed?” (10:43)
- Is it your fault?
- The one thing I wish I knew when I was suicidally depressed (the answer to why empaths are prone to depression)
- How to not absorb other people’s energy (15:07)
- What are emotions, really? (a visual example)
- Trauma & depression are stored in your body
- You are a vessel through which energy (emotion) flows
- The dissonance of inherently knowing the beauty of life but seeing the ugliness
- Why everything inside you is screaming that something’s wrong
- Putting on a smile as a highly functional depressed person
If you or a loved one is suffering from depression, here are some helpful resources:
Dear Mom, I Want to Kill Myself A personal blog post about my darkest moments, on OC87 Recovery Diaries, a non-profit mental health organization.
How to Meditate A personal blog post about how I used meditation instead of medication to rise out of depression (note that I am NOT against medication, it just wasn’t for me. But for many, medication truly helps lift the fog of depression)
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). Offers 24/7 confidential support and resources if you or someone you know is contemplating suicide. For hearing and speech impaired with TTY equipment: 1.800.799.4TTY (779-4889)
Project Hope and Beyond A free, supportive online community for persons with unrelenting depression and anxiety, as well as their families and friends who want to better understand them. Its purpose is to offer support and hope to people whose conditions are lasting or difficult to treat, those who often fall through the cracks of today’s healthcare system.
Erika’s Lighthouse A great site raising awareness for teenage depression. Offers a quiz to find out if you need help for depression as well as a free toolbox for teens suffering from depression.
To Write Love on Her Arms A non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.
Families for Depression Awareness Helps families recognize and cope with depression and bipolar disorder to get people well and prevent suicides.
MoodNetwork Turn your depression into a way to help others by sharing your experiences, thoughts and ideas with the MoodNetwork so they can find better treatment options.
It’s really helped me!!♥
Thank you so much for posting this. I’ve had really tough days recently and watching this was one of the only few times I wasn’t overwhelmed by complete sadness and breaking down
A great video Tree, thank you for sharing. It’s such a wonderful message; “There’s nothing wrong with you!” I’m going to imprint that I. My brain today for sure. Hugs hugs!
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. As ridiculous as it is in 2018, there is still stigma around mental health and no matter how self confident you are, it takes bravery and courage to share your diagnosis, struggles and insight. Kudos to you, especially as an HSP where you will probably be analysing everyones potential reactions 😀
I found what you had to say very helpful, I have tried anti depressants but I didn’t find them all that helpful, at the time I was feeling suicidal so it helped to take the edge off but they may have simply been the validation of a diagnosis and prescription!
I remembered to take my vitamin D pills after watching,too. haha!
wishing you, and all of us, strength and contentment
Hey Tree, thanks for taking the time to reach out and help others, in the middle of all the craziness in your life. I’ll listen again to let it sink in more.
For people who want more resources on “what do I do to help myself” I recommend a book called “The How of Happiness” because it helped me! It gives a quiz to help find areas of activity that resonate, then chapters that get deeper. When I need to do something to help myself, having a readymade list is a lifesaver.
And I second the helpfulness of meditation. Daily for just over a year now and like you, sometimes I still don’t go willingly 😉
Very lovely to be able to see you and hear your wise words hope you are feeling better With love Annie xx Thank You ⭐️
Thank you Annie! xoxo
Hello Tree….I couldn’t hear your video and was looking forward to hearing you. Being an HSP has been awful for me and looking forward to learning HOW to cope. Thank you!
Hi Ilda. Sorry you can’t hear it… not sure why it’s not audible on your end. Hate to ask but… can you check the volume on your device? 😀 Let me know, xoxo