May is the month for Mental Health Awareness. Did you know that 1 out of every person has suffered with a mental health issue? Did you know that the numbers of mental health issues amongst children ages 4-16 have doubled in the last 2 years? Yes, these numbers are alarming, but true. What’s also true is that many of us are walking around with a mental health issue and don’t know or can’t recognize the signs or know and feel too embarrassed to share with our family and friends. You are not alone! Today, I shared that I had suffered with depression, stress, and anxiety in the past and had to seek professional help because I wasn’t sure how to deal with the feelings or the affects that these things caused. I am doing a lot better mentally and have been able to process things by learning coping skills and other strategies to include journaling, meditation, taking more time for myself, and I still have a mentor and life coach when I just need to bounce something off someone or feel the symptoms trying to return.

Although there are many mental health issues, I wanted to share what, symptoms of, and ways to deal with the depression in this article. I will touch on the stress and anxiety over the next couple of weeks.

Depression is a mood disorder that includes feelings of sadness, helplessness and hopelessness that don’t go away on their own. It’s common for people who are depressed to have trouble participating in many key aspects of life — including work, school, friendships, family, sex and social relationships.

Without treatment and support, depression carries a high risk of disability or death by suicide.

Common emotional and behavioral symptoms of depression include:

1. Feeling sad, empty, hopeless or guilty

2. Losing interest in or pleasure from activities

3. Feeling agitated or irritable

4. Feeling very tired or sleeping too much or too little

5. Having trouble concentrating, thinking, speaking or making decisions

6. Thinking frequently about death or suicide

   Depression can also cause more physical symptoms, including:

   • Changes in appetite, weight loss or weight gain

   • Back pain, headaches or body aches

   Treatment: Individual therapy, life coach, mentor, medication, be more active, schedule regular annual exams, social support from family and friends, rest, eat healthy, and avoid alcohol or drug use.

Feel free to reach to reach out to me to schedule your free 1-hour consultation!