Are you okay? Ritika asked her friend.

‘Yeah, I am fine.’

‘You seem a little off.’

‘It’s just work. It’s been hectic lately.’

‘Are you sure that’s it?’

‘Yeah. Absolutely’

Seems like a normal day to day conversation between two friends. Isn’t it?

Quite often than not, people who seem perfectly okay may not be alright in reality. Well, we all have days that aren’t great, when things don’t seem to work out and you don’t exactly find yourself feeling the best.

With many of us however, feeling good or bad is not exactly under our control. Even in a joyful moment, you might end up feeling terrible or maybe feel nothing at all. For some people a task as plain and simple as making the bed can seem overwhelming. Needing motivation to make your bed?Too much.

But it happens with a lot of people. People like you and me.

When does ‘inability to make the bed’ become a problem?

Like a real, serious problem.

When not only making the bed but getting out of bed seems impossible and extremely challenging. And when the first question that pops in your head is “What am I going to do anyway?”

Followed by “I don’t feel like doing anything at all.”

Or “It’s better to stay in bed than face disappointment”

For everyone reading this, you may feel like you’ve been there and experienced such moments.

Tell me then,

How did you deal with it?

How did you get out of bed?

Did you make your bed eventually?

For many, such questions will seem like a waste of time. But some may find them relatable. Questions that they have been seeking answers for.

The topic in focus here is -Depression.

When did we first encounter this word in our life?

School? College? At work? Some random place?

The dictionary meaning of depressionmeans a state of severe despondency and dejection.

When we say things like “This is so depressing”. ‘I feel depressed because of the lockdown’

Things like these really depress me’

The state of things at his place were depressing.’

One would consider these as ‘general’ remarks. There’s no big deal about it.

So when would depression really call for attention?

When the state of severe despondency and dejection doesn’t seem to disappear.It starts interfering with your everyday activities and becomes an impediment. Usually, despite the best of efforts to pull yourself up,adesolatefeelingrefuses to leave you. It doesn’t have a face.And if untreated, can morph into a silent killer.

A medical condition,depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest.

A quick check through a few symptoms may help one gauge where he/she stands in terms of mental health.

Common symptoms of depression include:sadness, tiredness, trouble focusing,unhappiness, anger, irritability, frustration, loss of interest in pleasurable or fun activities, sleep issues(too much or too little),no energy, craving unhealthy food, anxiety, feeling isolated.

For anyone experiencing these or more,the real battle is in the head, hidden away from the rest of the world. Meeting people andsocializing isa draining exercise. What makes it worse iswhen others fail to see what’s wrong with you. No one would really be able to comprehend your state of mind.

Afterall, you seem perfectly fine on the outside.

How does one explain ‘difficulty in getting out of bed’?

Even the ones with best of intentions would probably come up with ‘You’ll be fine. It happens. Not a big deal. Just go out, meet people.’

Or ‘You’re just being lazy’, ‘don’t overthink’, ‘it’s your sleep cycle’

‘Try waking up early and see how good you feel’

Random statements like these not only make the affected person feel helpless but refuse to acknowledge a real problem.

In severe cases, symptoms of depression include significant loss in weight and appetite, insomnia, frequent thoughts of death or suicide.It can be paralyzing, bringing your life to an absolute standstill by affecting your work and relationships.

The ‘stigma’ associated with mental illness preventsmost people from addressing such issues.As long as you seem physically fit,life must go on,isn’t it? 

What everyone forgets is that the mind doesn’t function away from the body orvice versa. Both the mind and body have to be in sync.Perfect health comes from a fit mind and body.Mental fitness is not just mental agility or ability to solve a math problem.It’s mental wellbeing. There’s no shame in acknowledging it.There’s no harm in talking about it.When there’s a problem,address it.