Depression survivors warn of relapses, emphasises the importance of seeking help

SHAH ALAM - Most people may experience symptoms of depression at least once in their lifetime or have successfully recovered from it.

Recognising symptoms, seeking help, and aiming for recovery should be the main objectives for depression patients or anyone striving for a healthy mind and life.

Two depression survivors share their stories, including their perspectives on those who have taken their own lives when life became overwhelming.

One individual, who chose to remain anonymous, recounted their journey, starting in 2018 when they first noticed patterns of depression.

They began to recover in 2020 by identifying coping mechanisms that evolved with their situations and problems.

Among the symptoms to watch for are physical changes, extreme fatigue without reason, a desire to isolate, loss of excitement in previously enjoyable activities, and persistent hopelessness.

These symptoms warrant reaching out for diagnosis at a psychiatric hospital or seeking support from family members.

"I would always be tired of being in the same loophole," she said.

The turning point came from an inspiring quote by a contestant on America's Got Talent: "You cannot wait until life isn't hard anymore to be happy."

However, she said that trying to come out of the situation of depression was extremely hard and that sometimes she noticed relapsing.

She was then referred to a psychiatrist by a friend studying psychology, who recognised her symptoms.

After thorough testing and history-taking, she was diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD).

"I was referred to a psychiatrist, did some tests, and went through thorough history-taking and was diagnosed with MDD,” she said.

She said during her studies, she would reach out to the university's counsellors when feeling mentally unstable and said that it helped a lot in dealing with depression during the span of 2018 to 2020.

Asked about coping with difficult days, they expressed a desire to forget their dark past but credited supportive parents for helping them through depressive episodes. "On most depressive days, I would go out and avoid being alone, which worsened my symptoms."

Currently, she rated her mental health at 7 out of 10, with occasional relapses, and would seek help and engage in activities that energise her, like talking to friends, reading, jogging, or joining community services.

She urged depression survivors not to hesitate to seek professional help, even from university counsellors.

"It is better to prevent it from happening (mental health deteriorating) rather than wait until the condition gets worse," she added.

Preventing mental health deterioration is better than waiting until conditions worsen, she said.

She also supported those with suicidal ideation, noting that feeling extremely hopeless can lead to such thoughts.

"Everyone should help by reassuring them that life can get better and offering mindful support."

"To be honest, it is not totally their fault to have the idea of ending their life. They might feel extremely hopeless and the only way to not let themselves be a burden to anyone is by committing suicide.

"Thus, everyone around should play the role of helping people like them—to reassure them that there is more to life and life can get better—to offer help and be mindful," she said.

Meanwhile, a woman known only as Nur, 30, said she fell into depression after a miscarriage of her first baby in 2020.

The experience, she said, left her feeling isolated, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, which prevented her from seeing loved ones.

“It was a dark moment in my life where I felt lost and alone.

“Sometimes I would just stare into blank space and I would constantly cry when I thought about what life would be like if I had not lost my baby,” she told Sinar Daily.

Nur also revealed that she constantly had suicidal thoughts at the time but was thankful she never acted on them due to strong support from her family and friends.

“Even though I could not meet my family and friends in person, they would constantly check on me and ask how I was feeling.

“Additionally, I joined online support groups on social media, where I could get support from members worldwide,” she said.

Nur added that she never sought help from therapists as she did not know how to access them and feared community disapproval. She, however, advised those in a depressive state or with suicidal thoughts to seek help from professionals.