Following is a true story (name changed). Do you identify with these thoughts?
‘The change in you that is brought about by depression is incredibly confusing’, says Roger ‘there is no let up, no reprieve, just withdrawal, locking you into the way you feel by isolating you from people who care about you the most.’
Roger noticed changes in the way he felt in his second year of university. As a student, he was used to rising to the challenges of university, however, as his mood sank lower and lower, he began to react very differently to pressure: ‘I have always been hard working but somehow, academic challenges seemed overwhelming. My grades and attendance record remained strong, but I constantly felt I was falling behind and was totally preoccupied with thoughts of failure.’
The real you quickly becomes the old you and all of a sudden you feel deeply uncomfortable with yourself and doubt everything you do.
Roger’s friends and family encouraged him to seek help, which started with a trip to the doctor.”I spent hours and hours alone and stopped socialising almost completely. Not knowing who to speak to I turned to the Samaritans. They helped me more than I thought they could. They listened, understood and supported me through my time of need.’
Samaritans helped Roger when he felt depressed. Although the answer to managing depression is different for each person, he feels having a listening ear helped him understand the way he was feeling and prompted him to take action to improve his mood: A visit to the Doctor also became part of the recovery process.
‘I now have a strategy to cope when I am finding life difficult. I can spot the warning signs and take steps that I know will improve my mood. I don’t have a ‘silver bullet’ or ‘magic panacea’ but I can stop my mood sinking lower and lower.’
Reflecting back on his experience, Roger thinks that having someone to listen to him had a huge impact on his life: ‘I wouldn’t want anyone who was struggling to cope to end up feeling alone or isolated.
Do you sometimes feel like this? If you can identify with this story and need to talk to someone in complete confidence, then contact SAMARITANS IN SPAIN – You Talk We Listen.
Phone 900 525 100 Email pat@samaritansinspain.com
