EPISODE #152- Embracing Courage: Navigating Depression and Finding Hope

Facing mental illness requires a level of bravery often unseen and unacknowledged. Every day, countless individuals muster the courage to step into the unknown, battling depression and other mental health challenges. Join me, Tamera Trotter, as I recount my personal journey of transformation—from enduring prolonged depressive episodes to managing them within just a day. Discover how the relentless resolve to embrace change and resilience can empower you or someone you love to fight these invisible battles. This episode is a heartfelt tribute to the strength of those who rise each morning, ready to confront depression, despite the uncertainty it brings.

We'll redefine what it means to be courageous when living with a mental illness. If you're striving to understand the internal struggles of a loved one, or if you yourself are on this daunting journey, this episode offers hope, encouragement, and practical strategies. Learn actionable self-care steps that can help reclaim your life, even when depression feels insurmountable. Reflecting on how the pandemic has further complicated these challenges, we stress the importance of proactive measures and self-compassion. Tune in for a conversation that not only acknowledges the hardships but also celebrates the small victories in the ongoing fight for mental health.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

Hello and welcome to Win Over Depression. I am your host, tamara Trotter. This podcast is dedicated to those who suffer with a mental illness but try every single day to feel better. It's also dedicated to those of you who want to learn more about your loved one who may suffer with a mental illness. Did you know that there are over 800,000 people that commit suicide every single year? And that means that every 50 seconds, someone is choosing to take their life?

Speaker 1: 0:42

Today, on when Over Depression, we will be talking about courage. So let us first define what is meant by courage. Courage is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in a battle. So every single person who suffers with a mental illness and gets up every single day is absolutely a courageous individual. Because when you suffer with a mental illness and you know that your day is going to be uncertain, because when you get up in the morning you don't know how the day is going to go, because eventually the depression shows up in some shape, form or fashion and you're not sure if you're going to have the strength or the courage to make it through. And that's why, in many of my episodes, I talk about how, when you suffer with a mental illness, you have to rise to the occasion every single day. It's like being in the fight for your life every single day. Because, guess what? No one gets a pass when it comes to having to provide for yourself, having a means to pay your rent or pay your mortgage or pay your bills. No one gets a pass, not even those who suffer with a mental illness. So we have to be courageous in order to fight the battle that's in front of us. And do we get tired and discouraged at times? Absolutely. But what we have to realize is that depression is not our fault. It's due in large part, to a chemical imbalance in our brain, and when we realize and accept that, then we are closer to being able to put together a tangible action plan. And so I want you to remember that, even on days when depression wins and gets the best of you, on days when depression wins and gets the best of you, you still are courageous, because you still have the opportunity to live and to fight another day. But it's when we feel so hopeless and helpless that we just give up, and when we start to give up and give in to our symptoms of depression. That is what prolongs the episode of depression and that's what causes us to sink into that quicksand. So we have to be mindful and proactive when we feel that coming on, so that we can overcome and be able to get out of that situation.

Speaker 1: 3:49

I used to remember years ago, when I suffered from depression, how I could be depressed for two weeks at a time, sometimes a month at a time. But I've been able since then, due to some hard work that I've put into place and really just challenged myself, to where I can usually get out of an episode of depression within 24 hours. And so I know that if I can do it, you could do it. If you told me when I was feeling so depressed that I will be able to produce a podcast and be consistent every single Friday with dropping a new episode, I would have said absolutely not. So I am living proof that if I can do it, you can certainly do it.

Speaker 1: 4:40

All it takes is some courage on your part and you being committed and willing to do the work. So you know how people say that they are fighting cancer or they're fighting some other illness. When you are fighting your mental health and your mental illness. It's the same thing and it requires immense courage and resilience. It's often a battle that takes place in the shadows, invisible to the outside world, yet intensely demanding on the individual's inner strength. So it is very true that when you suffer with a mental illness, you have to learn how to become a stronger individual, and the truth is some of us are just not as strong as others. But whatever you can do to strengthen yourself, it's going to help you dealing with your mental illness. So, because each day can be a daily struggle, it's going to take courage to face the day with a relentless resolve in order to get out of bed in the morning, engage in self-care activities or simply face the day's challenges.

Speaker 1: 6:12

And it's even more difficult because of the pandemic and everything that has happened. There are so many people who are experiencing mental illness and fighting depression for the first time in their lives and unfortunately, some people ended up committing suicide. And I'll just be very honest with you Some people just could not handle everything that was going on during this pandemic, everything that was going on during this pandemic, and they took a very serious attitude toward it and decided to just not be here anymore and left the people behind who never thought that they suffered from any type of mental illness. Those people were devastated over their friends and loved ones committing suicide, and that's why this podcast and the work that I do with mental health is so very important to me, because if I can save the life of one person, all the work that I do is more than worth it.

Speaker 1: 7:27

So just know that you are going to have setbacks when it comes to dealing with your mental illness. So expect it. Just do not let it consume you, you. And on the days when you have a setback, just wait for the next day to come and try again. Even if you have two days in a row where you're just not able to get out of bed or you're just not feeling up to talking on the phone or being around anyone, that's fine. Just know that when you're able to be vulnerable enough to share your situation with a loved one, then you'll have an accountability partner that you can speak to.

Speaker 1: 8:18

On days when you're down from depression, suffer in silence because of the embarrassment, and I remember believing, when I was first diagnosed, that I didn't want anybody to know because I thought that it was a weakness and I said I'm not a weak person, so I don't want people to think I'm weak, so I didn't want to tell anybody. And so when we are dealing with this battle against mental illness, courage is not always loud or visible, because courage is sometimes found in the quiet moments of perseverance and resilience. And when we choose to seek help, despite the fear of judgment or the stigma, then we know that we're really being proactive when it comes to fighting our mental illness. And so what baffles me is the fact that anyone who suffers with a medical condition like heart disease or diabetes or a thyroid condition, we are willing to take the medication without even thinking twice. But when it comes to taking medication for a mental illness, all of a sudden we just don't want to take it, and I just don't understand that.

Speaker 1: 9:49

There is no difference in you having a physical ailment versus a mental health condition. And when you decide that that is true, then you can get yourself to that better place. But when you decide that you don't agree with the diagnosis and you don't plan on doing anything proactive, then you are prolonging your ability to get better Once you have accepted that you need help, and if that help consists of taking medication or seeing a therapist or whatever is recommended, then you are taking the first step toward feeling better, and it's totally up to you to decide and to determine. But I'm going to tell you this every single thing that we do in our life, our mental health is affected by it. If you want to start a business and you want to make this great idea that you have be known to the world, but you don't have your mental health in check, it's going to be very difficult for you to succeed in that business. Why? Because when you suffer with depression, you have mood swings, and a business person who has mood swings is not going to be someone that other people want to work with. They're not going to understand that. So your mental health should come first and you should care enough about yourself and be courageous enough to do the work. And once you get past that hurdle, then you can get to a place where you're feeling better, you're able to participate in activities that you once liked but stopped doing, you're going to want to be around your friends and your family and your total outlook on life is going to improve.

Speaker 1: 12:05

So I know that, if you're listening to this podcast episode, that you want to get better, and I believe that for you, so I encourage you to do some homework for me. What I'd like for you to do is write down three things that you can do to let people know about how you're really feeling and be able to allow them to help you. So that's the first step is letting someone know how you feel and that you would like their help, and I know it's not easy to trust people like their help, and I know it's not easy to trust people, but there has to be at least one person that you can confide in, that you trust with your feelings, that you can let them know about your mental health condition. The second thing I want you to do is do your best to reduce the amount of sugar that you intake by 50%. A lot of people don't realize that sugar exacerbates depression and mental illness. So if you can eliminate it by 50%, you're automatically going to start feeling better.

Speaker 1: 13:25

And the third thing I'd like for you to do feeling better and the third thing I'd like for you to do every single day select two goals that you want to achieve for that day and make sure you get them done, and they don't have to be big goals. One goal can simply be to get out of your bed and to make your bed. Another goal could be walking to the mailbox, walking around the block, taking your dogs for a walk, checking the mail, washing the dishes, vacuuming one room in your home. Once you do those three things, number one was get to a place where you trust somebody with your situation. Number two is make sure that you are eliminating sugar as much as you can. And number three is completing at least two goals every single day. If you can do that within one week, you will be feeling so much better.

Speaker 1: 14:30

So you are courageous, you have everything that you need to be successful, and I know that you can get to the place where you deserve to be. So I never want to end my podcast without thanking you so very much for listening. You are the best part of win over depression and thank you for all of your support. Would you please follow us on TikTok at win over depression. You can also like and subscribe to our YouTube channel, also called win over depression. Thank you so much for signing on and listening to this episode 119 of when Over Depression, and we will see you next time.