When you get out of bed in the morning, are you
just physically getting out of bed? Yes, this means that you fight the pillow,
pull off the sheets, and begin to start your day.
However, we all have those mornings where we
physically get out of bed but mentally, we are still hiding in the comfort of
our warm and fuzzy comforters, still pondering the dreams that occurred last
night.
Did you ever wonder why some people struggle to
get up in the morning? This is not referring to the college student who went
out last night for Thirsty Thursday and just had too much to drink, but
referring to the individual who sincerely struggles to get up and fully
function.
Depression can be the reason why some people cannot
get of bed mentally even if they physically can.
According to Webster Dictionary, depression is
defined as, (1): a state of feeling sad : dejection (2): a psychoneurotic or
psychotic disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in
thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and
time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes
suicidal tendencies.
Do you think about how it impacts you, either
directly or indirectly? As college students, according to PsychCentral’s
website:
·
One out of every five young people and one out of ever four
college students or adults suffers from some form of diagnosable mental
illness.
·
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among people ages
15-24, and the second leading cause of death in college students ages 20-24.
·
44 percent of American college students reported feeling
symptoms of depression.
I can only speak from my own
personal experience with depression and recently I wrote an essay talking about
the day that I could not get out of bed, physically and mentally I was stuck,
unable to move. I speak candidly about reaching out to my therapist and how
therapy saved my life.
From
Behind Closed Doors: One Man’s Journey of Reaching Out For Help
&
The Woman Who Saved Him
Won
2nd place for this year's Women's History Month Celebration Essay Contest
Written
by Mark Travis Rivera
Dedicated
to Daisy Rodriguez
I
never knew how powerful it would feel to speak—and how having someone else
listen would heal my brokenness.
As
a Latino, I was raised in an environment that taught me that speaking about
issues that occurred behind closed doors was not permitted. From a young age, I
was taught not to trust individuals, such as therapists, because therapy was
“what white people did” and “you are no gringo, you don’t talk to people about
what happens in this house.” Suffering from behind closed doors, I found myself
sitting in my room during my first semester in college, crying and unable to
stop.
One
day I could not get out of bed. The depression came over me and I became
physically ill. That day marked the darkest moment in my transition from high
school to college. As I tried to reflect on the lessons taught in my freshmen
seminar course from my educational opportunity fund summer semester, I
remembered there was a therapist, a woman who spoke about emotional
intelligence, a fellow Latino, Daisy Rodriguez and on November 21, 2010 I
reached out to Daisy to begin therapy. On that day, I began the process of
healing, finally someone who would truly listen.
This
year will make three years since I started therapy and at first I never spoke
about it out of shame but in time I learned to embrace it. As an advocate for
therapy, I have encouraged people to seek help and try to remind them that they
are not alone. In the last three years I have come to appreciate my one-hour a
week with Daisy. She’s become my sounding board, an ear for all of my concerns,
and an anchor in the midst of the storm. From issues with my mother, to
break-ups, school challenges, and my successes, I have had Daisy to share it
all with. She’s been there for me every step of the way, with her objectivity,
her affirming nod, and her sincere concern for my well-being.
Daisy
saved me from the pit of my depression; she got me through my suicidal
ideations, and got me through a dark period when my life flashed before my
eyes. Daisy is my hero—she has an “E” on her chest because her empathy,
ability to encourage me, and the shared experiences has kept me
from dealing with my demons alone. During my darkest hour, I find solace
knowing that I will have Daisy to help me. I will be able to speak knowing that
she will listen to every single word, analyzing every story and my body
language, and then she will ask me a profound question or two, which always
challenges me to reflect and come to realizations I kept trying to ignore.
From
behind closed doors I reached out to a woman who deemed me worthy of helping—by
replying to my email, she began my journey towards healing, she became my
healer. I will always appreciate her, my hero.
If today you struggled to get
out of bed, know that you are not alone—there are things you can do to get
help and I strongly suggest seeking out therapy. Put aside the stigma, there’s
no shame in admitting that you struggled to physically and mentally get out of
bed and that you are depressed.
So speak out, get up, and keep living.
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and talk about this post or other blog posts: @markingthepath
