Numbing & Depression
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The National Institue of Mental Health shares that in 2019, an estimated 17.3 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode.
That is before COVID-19 presented itself and changed your routines, work, and overwhelmed your need for work-life balance. Insert a shit ton of stress.
It has ravaged public schools and health care systems, only to name a few. Unfortunately, the new normal has made a greater strain on an already broken support system for yourself and others who are attempting to manage their mental health symptoms on their own.
I believe that our current situation, which is fueled by high levels of stress and anxiety of the unknown makes depression episodes worse. This leads me to talk to you today about depression and offer you some guidance on where you can learn more about your current mental health concerns.
So the question I want to talk with you today is this:
Why Do You Numb When You Feel Depressed?
People that struggle with depression and reoccurring episodes can have moments where they become NUMB.
Although, I only struggle with PTSD and Generalized Anxiety I deal with occasional bouts of emotional numbness.
I can describe emotional numbness as times where I can no longer bear the load of the overpacked schedule, bullshit, errors in communication with work peers or friends, you get me on this right? I feel so overwhelmed with life that I want to either run away from all my responsibilities and or sleep forever.
Why Do We Feel This Way?
Your high levels of stress can overwhelm your limbic system which controls your emotions and is located in your brain- think of the Disney movie, Inside Out. Your mood can also be affected causing you to retreat into the depths of your own mind.
You begin to pull away- WITHDRAW
You lose your- CONNECTION
You begin to- ISOLATE
You begin to- BE STUCK IN THE CYCLE
You begin to feel- HOPELESS/ LOST
Continual stress with no relief to your stress response will eventually lead you to physical exhaustion and become emotionally drained.
CUE IN THE EMOTIONAL NUMBNESS
Tips to help you with self management:
Schedule an appointment with a mental health provider.
Online therapy visits are both affordable and easy to access even if you don’t have insurance. Many online therapy options are offering COVID related support for free.
Check out this link where you can get free worksheets and connect with a therapist to see if you are a good fit.
Learn new skills in the area of self awareness and emotional intelligence.
When you take the first steps to learning more about yourself it can be very hard. Holding up a mirror and looking at your flaws is something that many have a hard time completing.
There are so many free online resources for you to access such as You Tube, TedTalks, Podcasts, and online communities you can join.
I have a community of like minded women who have support for one another especially during trying COVID times.
Find us on Facebook: Finding a Village
Build yourself a support team
Who do you want to help support you on your journey?Remember it is key to have your supports in place before you experience an episode. Trust me it makes coping easier as you continue to build in areas where you are lacking.
It truly takes a village.
Exercise 30 minutes per day
I feel a lot better when I move throughout the day. I release a lot of stress when I workout. I was able to order a spin bike, so I could burn off the anxiety and stress up to three times per week.
What could you do to move for 30 minutes per day?
Walk
Running
Hiking
Swimming
Listen to my latest podcast episode here- inspirational and motivational piece I wrote to let you know that you are not alone in the world of mental health.