Depression changes my body and my brain. The changes have created some last-long effects on me. The effects have affected my life, my work and my relationships. It was challenging to cope with the changes. The conditions would get worse if I could not gain understanding from others and the environment. In this blog, I conclude some of the apparent effects of depression happen on me.

I have a weaker immune system

I was a strong baby, apart from having asthma when I was born. I seldom fell sick after my mother’s extraordinary effort to control my asthma. However, I have a weaker immune system after having depression, especially during the worst stage of my depression. I felt fatigued and fell sick easily. I had a fever more than two times in a year which never happened before. Part of the reason was that I was not taking care of my sleep and diet. Meanwhile, I could feel that my body and brain were not regulating my body systems. I found that I got an infection quickly, and my stomach becomes really sensitive with stimulation. Now, it is a norm for me for having eye infections seasonally.

I have difficulty concentrating

My span of concentration was shortened when I had depression. In fact, I could not focus all the time. I was unable to finish a ten minutes task. I needed to use five two minutes intervals to complete them. My work productivity decreased, and my anxiety grew. The scenario became a vicious cycle and developed my anxiety about my work performance and feeling lost, helpless and hopeless to anything.

I become highly sensitive emotionally

When the depression hit me. The feeling of emptiness and loneliness occupied me. At the same time, I became susceptible to all stimuli around me. I could not control my emotions. Emotions controlled me all the time. I could not digest the feelings and emotions that I experienced. I was easily irritated and frustrated. I teared up for no reason. For example, I got saddened and depressed even watching comedian movies. I did not know why. It was very tiring. I drained a lot of internal energy as my emotions, and my mind worked non-stop. Still, they were accumulating blockages and indigestion rubbish for me. Hence, I created my own protection shield, which was closing myself off. Yet, emptiness and loneliness grew greater afterwards.

I have trouble with memory and in making decisions

I had a very rational and analytical brain. I was trained from being the leader in the school and grew up in business background. Every day was about problem-solving and decision making. I lost my ability in logical thinking, information interpretation, and my brain sequencing deteriorated. Also, I became forgetful. As a result, I had trouble making decisions. I could not form a sequenced logic between information and doubted all my decisions. I became dependent on making a decision and sometimes avoided the occasions that need to make decisions. 

Depression is a complex syndrome while there are neuroscientific reasons for all the effects of depression on my brain and mind. This video provides me with a concise explanation of how and why my brain worked differently when I was depressed.

Today, I am aware of all the effects of depression on me, and I have found the methods to help me cope with the effects. It was an arduous journey. Nevertheless, it is a learning journey for me. I learn the ways to communicate with my body and mind, and I understand them better now. The pains turned into understanding. They teach me how to love myself more. The objective of this writing is to share the difficulties that people who have depression syndrome might face. Also, to inform and encourage you that providing more care and understanding to people with depression is important. Your small caring acts will change our day or life. 

If you feel that you would love to share your experience or to connect, drop me an email at hello@ruyiteh.com