April Best used to take naps at lunch. She would leave work early. She wasn’t lazy. She didn’t hate her job. She was navigating a very difficult bout of depression.
April thought life should be a certain way. She admits that she was not living realistically. She started to fall apart. She came very close to losing her job. She realized that she had to do something about it.
April made the decision to be brave and follow certain steps to deal with her depression. She recommends the following steps for others who might be dealing with depression as well:
1) Talk to someone who will not BS you.
Unfortunately, some friends may share with you what you want to hear. When struggling with depression it is wise to find a person to talk to who can lovingly tell you like it is.
That person may be a family member, but it is likely someone outside of your initial circle.
2) Love Yourself Enough to Take Action
Extreme situations call for extreme measures. You may not feel like taking action, but it is necessary. A great place to start is to get advice and be willing to learn coping skills. You can read if you feel like it or watch YouTube videos. It may make sense to move beyond that and learn from a counselor or join a support group. Loving yourself when suffering through depression can be very difficult. The best way to love yourself is to identify the temporary season that you are in and care enough to do something about it.
3) Check Your Insurance for Treatment Options
Your insurance may cover some or more of your treatment than you may realize. April encourages you to go to your primary care doctor. They can recommend some reputable people that can help. Unfortunately, not every counselor is going to be a good fit for your needs. Don’t be discouraged if your first visit or experience with a counselor is not ideal. April says to allow yourself the necessary time required to find the right counselor.
April believes that the world needs your unique gifts and talents. She encourages you to not allow the discouragement, depression or shame to define who you are. You can heal. You must. The world needs you!
You can learn more about April by checking out the Discover Freedom Project. The Discover Freedom Project allows you to take a selfie, create a meme & state what will no longer define you.
Some of the stories featured include individuals who will no longer allow abortions to define them, miscarriages, debt, or being let go from a job, etc.
April recommends Blue Genes as a good book that talks about how each of us are wired a certain way.
There is hope. The moment that April began talking about everything allowed the first step for healing. April cautions not to talk about it as a victim, but to talk about it in a sincere effort to heal.
You are welcome to listen to the Starve the Doubts podcast interview with April below.
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Photo: Getty Images
There is nothing worse, then going through hell of depression. You wake up each day, not knowing if you will make it ’till night, or you will simply give in, and end it all yourself. The drugs sometimes help, and sometimes make it worse. Felt like I had no control whatsoever over my own life. It took me a while, but I managed to teach myself how to push trough the day, and keep on fighting. In the end, it all comes down to helping yourself get up and fight. For anyone suffering from depression, I recommend something that has… Read more »
Glad you found something that works for you! Medication mixed with coping skills and really hard work have been the best for me…although there are still days where you just can’t win…
I will check out the link you suggested…looks great!