Fighting The Inner Demon
We all really believed that the world had enough craziness, that life itself was a roller coaster ride with so much in stock! We had enough number of diseases — cancer, AIDS, flu, caste-ism, racism, slavery, terrorism, corporatism, corruption and what not? But one thing has had a clean sweep in recent times, it just blew things up and took all our worries to a great new level — COVID-19.
It has really done enough to keep us away from our loved ones, staging emotional battles, anxiety and social distancing that we all have started believing that the world will no more be the same. Long Distance Relationships will be more normal, hugs and handshakes punishable offence, crowds a big no-no! Less lavish weddings, more nuclear families, more ‘privacy’, more emotional distance and lots more in the list.
The real demon
But of all that, there is a demon larger than COVID-19 itself at this very moment. Yes, you read that right! A demon much much larger, a demon that will be more difficult to diagnose, a demon that will kill many many more people — Depression.
In this evolving era of social distancing, we shall all miss our fellow humans very dearly and stay closer and fonder of the virtual world than the actual one. But what good is the virtual world doing to all of us? As the saying goes, Too many cooks spoil the broth, there will be more social media addiction at very younger ages, more physical distancing, more yearning to fit into ‘the world’, the imaginary world! In short, people shall become more obsessed with things than humans, with praise and likes more than self-satisfaction, with the virtual ‘family’ than the actual family.
So, where is all this taking us to? DEPRESSION. It is more common these days for youngsters to get depressed that the good old 90’s and 80’s. Gone are the days when kids learnt from their parents and teachers. Today, social media and Google are everything. Leave alone teachers, they are Gods today. What you choose to take from them and what you choose to leave is absolutely individual decision. Gone are the days when parents raised kids, it is social media and the internet that raises kids, parents just give birth to them, support them financially and physically.
How does one actually get depressed?
The reasons may be plenty. When an extrovert is forced into quarantine, he/she suffers the most here. The sudden change in environment forces him/her to find solace in the virtual world through series, movies, social media, blogs and every other thing virtual. Initially they would seem to be a great solace, keeping you distracted from your thoughts. But that is the biggest problem in our era. All that we need these days is just a distraction. We no longer deal with problems, we run away from them and find solace in such distractions. In this hibernation, our problems only loom larger and come back to us with greater threat, bogging us down completely.
During this work-from-home period, parents really find it hard to juggle between work and managing the home, that they hardly find time to engage their kids. So what is the solution? Distraction! Distract them with a phone, TV, laptop or anything that you get to keep them from pestering you! And thus starts the journey of the kid in the virtual world which seems far better than the neglecting real world. The kid starts loving and living in this virtual reality so much that when he/she is forced to see reality, they are unable to accept the real world and start getting depressed.
The virtual world gifted to them by their parents is how kids of this era get exposed to inappropriate content, inappropriate language, thus an inappropriate world. It is not at all fair to cane the kid or scold him/her for the use of inappropriate language/ thoughts when the seed is actually sown by the elders. All that is needed is more time of the parents. In pursuit of creating a better world for their kids, parents tend to forget that love and care and time are far more valuable than money!
A few symptoms
Depression can come in any form, through any means. It is a mental demon that can destroy you completely. But don’t worry, you are not alone in this. There are millions of companions across the world who are battling depression. The main symptoms of depression include a change in attitude, sluggishness, inability to focus on work, a quest for distractions, hyper-activeness/ hypo-activeness, loss of will to live, a feeling of emptiness at the end of the day. There are many more medically diagnosed symptoms apart from these.
How to overcome depression?
Depression is a pretty big enemy, but you just need one tool to beat depression — your determination. Depression gets the better out of you by distracting you. If you decide to not get distracted, if you are confident about yourself, if you really determine to beat depression, you really can do it!
- Start talking to people about how you feel. Depression is no longer a taboo with about 264 million people around the world affected by depression. It is not your fault at all. Feel free to vent it out, talk to someone you really trust and seek help.
- Make yourself more organised, write down what you want to do in life, short term and long term goals.
- Determine the hindrances you face to achieving your goals, write them down.
- Define your priorities always — that is most important to keep yourself focused.
- Plan your day and genuinely work towards sticking to the plan.
- You should have control of your mind and body. Don’t let that urge for distraction really take you away. Be determined to finish the items on your list no matter what. Tell your mind to obey you.
- Try helping people around you. Talk to them more often, make yourself associated with the outer world. Open those windows and connect to the outer world mentally if not physically.
- Try something new, take up a hobby that is not virtual — dance, write, draw, anything that lets you connect with your inner self. Let the inner self lead you to a more cheerful and happier life.
It is not really easy beating that demon off in a day. But with continuous efforts, it is really possible. Have a goal in life, find your passion and work towards it with all the enthusiasm in you, work towards a more disciplined life. You goals should drive your life, not your laziness.
How to help someone who is depressed?
To all those confident people who have not met with depression, please do not judge anyone. We all come in different shapes and sizes, we all have our own troubles and demons that are very different from each other. Spread some kindness, embrace people for what they are, not just the good things in them. Appreciate little things and create a happier place for all those brave warriors battling depression — they have really seen hell. Spread positivism around you and help someone see daylight amidst all the dark.
