My Name is James. I am Twenty one years old. I suffer from anxiety and depression. James has taken the first positive steps in tackling his mental health problems in a mature and responsible way. Research has shown that over half of student would rather tackle depression on their own as a pose to speaking with friends or family members about mental health issues. Mental health problems such as depression are very common and the chances are you or someone close to you has or will experience depression during their lifetime.
Upsetting events or situations derail the regular routine of an individual, leaving then saddened and with a sense of isolation. This is only the beginning of the process; problems will escalate as the desire to remain stagnant in time takes hold. You will begin to feel as if the world is passing you by as all efforts to continue daily tasks eludes you. Driving you further and further into a shell of negativity and despair.
Share the burden and remove the stigma from mental health problems in Ireland today. Mental health issues are easily dealt with one you acknowledge the problem and speak about it. The feeling of despair and isolation can engulf you with doubt and restlessness which will inevitably become too much for you on your own if you do not know how to handle it. Society and individuals need to promote understanding and compassion when dealing with depression. We as a society need to promote awareness and tackle problems such as mental health issues head on.
In the current economic climate students are especially vulnerable to periods of depression, anxiety and worry. Firstly: everyone experiences times in their life where they think they can no longer cope with the pressures of daily life. Mental health is both complex and multidimensional and consists of many layers.
Depression does not simply arrive one day and go in a week or two. There are currently 300,000 people in Ireland who are experiencing some form of depression as you read this now. Depression is the steady increase of anxiety and pressure, and once this becomes too much for the individual, rational thinking and actions evaporates. “It’s something that nobody wants to talk about, I was afraid to bring it up with any of my friends in case they thought I was being a drama queen”.
Sometimes life becomes too much. Sometimes young adults cannot deal with mental health problems easily. Students and young adults tend to ignore mental health issues and opt for going it alone. Friends and family should promote speaking about mental health issues amongst each other, we as a society need to break the mould; we need to welcome discussions and problems amongst young people. As Harry Truman former president of the United States once said “the buck stops here”. We need to take action if any kind of halt is brought to the stigma associated with mental health issues. Times have changed dramatically but still youngsters and adults alike refuse to speak openly. I would urge anybody feeling under down, exhausted or consumed by daily life, to stop and acknowledge that maybe you’re not ok, and that is perfectly fine and easily rectifiable once the correct steps are taken.
Symptoms of depression are :
Feeling unhappy
Find it harder to make decisions
Find it difficult to preform daily tasks
No interest in daily life
Loss of desire to succeed
A feeling of isolation and defeat
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