At its worst, depression can be a frightening, debilitating condition. Millions of people around the world live with dep | dG1fWGlDcm5pTFFHWWM
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00:01I had a black dog. His name was Depression.
00:07Whenever the black dog made an appearance, I felt empty and life just seemed to slow down.
00:13He could surprise me with a visit for no reason or occasion.
00:17The black dog made me look and feel older than my years.
00:22When the rest of the world seemed to be enjoying life, I could only see it through the black dog.
00:26Activities that usually brought me pleasure suddenly ceased to.
00:33He liked to ruin my appetite.
00:36He chewed up my memory and my ability to concentrate.
00:41Doing anything or going anywhere with a black dog required superhuman strength.
00:47At social occasions, he'd sniff out what confidence I had and chase it away.
00:52My biggest fear was being found out.
00:55I worried that people would judge me.
00:57Because of the shame and stigma of the black dog, I was constantly worried that I'd be found out.
01:03So I invested vast amounts of energy into covering him up.
01:07Keeping up an emotional lie is exhausting.
01:10Black dog could make me think and say negative things.
01:15He could make me irritable and difficult to be around.
01:20He would take my love and bury my intimacy.
01:24He loved nothing more than to wake me up with highly repetitive and negative thinking.
01:30He also liked to remind me how exhausted I was going to be the next day.
01:34Having a black dog in your life isn't so much about feeling a bit down, sad or blue.
01:39At its worst, it's about being devoid of feeling altogether.
01:43As I got older, the black dog got bigger and he started hanging around all the time.
01:47I chased him off with whatever I thought might send him running.
01:53But more often than not, he'd come out on top.
01:55Going down became easier than getting up again.
01:59So I became rather good at self-medication.
02:02Which never really helped.
02:03Eventually, I felt totally isolated from everything and everyone.
02:12The black dog had finally succeeded in hijacking my life.
02:16When you lose all joy in life, you can begin to question what the point of it is.
02:21Thankfully, this was the time that I sought professional help.
02:24This was my first step towards recovery and a major turning point in my life.
02:30I learned that it doesn't matter who you are.
02:31The black dog affects millions and millions of people.
02:34It is an equal opportunity mongrel.
02:37I also learned that there was no silver bullet or magic pill.
02:40Medication can help some and others might need a different approach altogether.
02:44I also learned that being emotionally genuine and authentic
02:47to those who are close to you can be an absolute game changer.
02:50Most importantly, I learned not to be afraid of the black dog
02:55and I taught him a few new tricks of my own.
02:59The more tired and stressed you are, the louder he barks.
03:02So it's important to learn how to quiet your mind.
03:05It's been clinically proven that regular exercise can be as effective
03:09for treating mild to moderate depression as antidepressants.
03:12So go for a walk or a run and leave the mutt behind.
03:16Keep a mood journal.
03:17Getting your thoughts on paper can be cathartic and often insightful.
03:21Also keep track of the things that you have to be grateful for.
03:24The most important thing to remember is that no matter how bad it gets,
03:28if you take the right steps, talk to the right people,
03:31black dog days can and will pass.
03:34I wouldn't say that I'm grateful for the black dog,
03:36but he's been an incredible teacher.
03:39He forced me to re-evaluate and simplify my life.
03:42I learned that rather than running away from my problems,
03:44it's better to embrace them.
03:46The black dog may always be part of my life,
03:49that he'll never be the beast that he was.
03:52We have an understanding.
03:54I've learned through knowledge, patience, discipline and humour,
03:57the worst black dog can be made to heal.
04:00If you're in difficulty, never be afraid to ask for help.
04:03There is absolutely no shame in doing so.
04:05The only shame is missing out on life.
04:08The only shame is missing out on life.