One definition of depression is sadness, unhappiness, low spirits, pessimism, and discouragement. Who in their life hasn’t experienced one or more of these feelings? Something has changed, which means that when we feel sad or unhappy, we are now labeled as depressed. When really, we might be feeling anxious or unhappy.
We are told not to feel sad. But it’s a perfectly normal emotion. It’s healthy to express this emotion in the right way. We can acknowledge that we feel sad and then do something about it. We don’t need an antidepressant to numb the sadness; we need to be lifted out of it.
What we are seldom taught is that everyone experiences feelings of discouragement, unhappiness, or sadness from time to time. It isn’t something we need to apologize for or take a pill for. It is part of life. And it’s part of what makes life so exciting and full. If we don’t experience the lows, how can we know when we’ve hit a high?
Modern media displays people’s live in their brightest and happiest light, and that’s not real life. We see the highs, but rarely do people advertise their lows. And why should they? You don’t need to hang your dirty washing out. But we tend to compare ourselves, and this can steal our joy.
Sometimes people do need the drugs to help them; I’m not talking about these kinds of circumstances. I am talking about when we go through a rough patch in life. When we feel sad or unhappy with a job, with a partner or a particular situation in life, it isn’t necessary to offer a drug, its essential to provide a way out.
The rate at which antidepressants are being issued is astonishing. They are addictive. I’ve coached people through the relinquishment of the drug, and it isn’t easy. What clients have said is that the drug has trapped them further. It seemed like a quick fix, but it hasn’t resulted in a quick fix. If anything, it has put them back also.
If people were offered a coach instead of a drug, we could transform a generation. We don’t need to be numbed from another type of substance available to us. We need to be lifted to our highest potential. Raised to becoming the person we deep down know we are capable of being. Coaching can help this process. I know because it’s worked for me.
