Three simple ways to overcome depression

Depression and anxiety are two faces of the same coin. Depression makes us anxious and anxiety makes us depressed.
Basically, depression is a mood disorder that involves a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in almost everything. And anxiety is a kind of looking in the future seeing dangerous things that might happen in the next hour, day or week.

We've all felt sad or blue at least one time but feeling sad and blue most of the time or feeling these symptoms like these is depression

• Feeling tired or having low energy most of the time
• Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
• Change in appetite, weight loss or weight gain
• Difficulty in sleeping or feeling worthless
• Trouble in concentrating 
• Feeling helpless or hopeless
• Thoughts of death or suicide
• Unexpected headache, muscular pain or stomachache 

Now let me first tell you why I care about this cause.

It was during my boards when I firsthand experienced depression and anxiety. At first, I didn't know what I was going through because sometimes I used to feel elated like I was on cloud nine. And sometimes I used to feel miserable in such extreme that I wasn't able to concentrate on anything. depressed so much I was that tendency of suicide flashed in grey matter. Everything used to feel meaningless.

And on top of that, I'm brown and introvert. So, even talk therapy wasn't an option for me which is a taboo in India. It was a roller coaster ride  of feelings for almost 1.5 years until the life turning event happened.   When I went to a social gathering and all of a sudden I was thirsty and tension was so grievous that muscle of my face twitched in hyperbolic motion and I wasn't able to utter a single word.  Then I decided that I need to do something about it. 

Depression drains energy, hope, and drive making it difficult to take the necessary steps and sometimes just thinking about the to-do list makes us more anxious. It seems exhausting and impossible to put into action.

Recovering from depression isn't a quick or easy procedure. The key is to start small and build from there even if it is severe and stubbornly persistent.

How I came out of my depressed arena 

• TALK THERAPY- This is the first basic step. If you can't afford a counselor talk to your friend, parents or you can maintain a journal that's what I did. But trust me this one-to-one conversation works like wonder especially for introverts.                                                                                     
•  EXERCISE- It's a proven mood booster that is good for the body and mind. It increases self-esteem and confidence. And who doesn't want to feel good about their body and mind?                        
•   René Descartes's rule- Dividing goal into segments and doing the easiest one first, proceeding the same way you'll reach the core.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) around 200 million Indians are suffering from depression i.e. one in five people.

There are so many reasons why mental health is '' not a thing'' in India such as lack of awareness, education, empathy, listeners and ignorance, superstitious beliefs and लोग क्या कहेंगे.

I think it's high time to address mental health issues. Here, I'm taking the first step towards HEALTHY India. Are you willing to take the next step with me?