Courtesy of dothegreenthing.com
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
It must be madness...
So, people may be wondering why I am not sharing my tales of the far-east yet and why they are yet to see photos of serene sunsets and golden Buddhas? Well, that is because my trip is currently on hold till the 30th April. Last Thursday I was diagnosed with Clinical depression and was considered unfit for travel.
For many I have told it has come as a shock and to be honest, I was still disillusioned that I was just overreacting. But it is mainly due to the stigma surrounding depression that I was so reluctant to accept it. I have always been a positive person and taken a somewhat Buddhist philosophy on life. Life is suffering and the mind is often the tool used to free us from this pain. Yet, my mind, unfortunately, has led to suffering. It is not within my control and I have had to resort to antidepressants in order to mend my mind.
Being ignorant to the condition, I have gone about asking those in the know of what is the psychological reasoning behind my behavioural change. From what I can understand, the neurotransmitters in the brain that normally release serotonin and dopamine (the happy hormones) has been interrupted and are not able to function properly. The mind is a powerful thing, but when it is overtaken by negative thoughts it is often difficult to make simple decisions or rational judgments.
I have given my fiancée endless days of grief by not being able to decided whether to leave the house or even as to what I should be eating for dinner. My physical health has deteriorated in response to the strain on my brain and I am now working hard to turn things around. I know I will be fine and with my friends, family and fiancée all there to support me, my trip should be back on by the end of the month.
I didn't want to share this news with my friends or relatives, let alone the rest of the web, but I have to realise that this isn't in my control and it is nothing to be ashamed of. 1 in 4 people get depression in their lifetime and people need to know that they are not going crazy, it is just a temporary glitch in your limbic system.
For many I have told it has come as a shock and to be honest, I was still disillusioned that I was just overreacting. But it is mainly due to the stigma surrounding depression that I was so reluctant to accept it. I have always been a positive person and taken a somewhat Buddhist philosophy on life. Life is suffering and the mind is often the tool used to free us from this pain. Yet, my mind, unfortunately, has led to suffering. It is not within my control and I have had to resort to antidepressants in order to mend my mind.
Being ignorant to the condition, I have gone about asking those in the know of what is the psychological reasoning behind my behavioural change. From what I can understand, the neurotransmitters in the brain that normally release serotonin and dopamine (the happy hormones) has been interrupted and are not able to function properly. The mind is a powerful thing, but when it is overtaken by negative thoughts it is often difficult to make simple decisions or rational judgments.
I have given my fiancée endless days of grief by not being able to decided whether to leave the house or even as to what I should be eating for dinner. My physical health has deteriorated in response to the strain on my brain and I am now working hard to turn things around. I know I will be fine and with my friends, family and fiancée all there to support me, my trip should be back on by the end of the month.
I didn't want to share this news with my friends or relatives, let alone the rest of the web, but I have to realise that this isn't in my control and it is nothing to be ashamed of. 1 in 4 people get depression in their lifetime and people need to know that they are not going crazy, it is just a temporary glitch in your limbic system.
For more info: http://www.mind.org.uk/