Premium Essay

Overcoming Depression

In:

Submitted By stitchedhearts
Words 1338
Pages 6
I was twelve years old when I first put a blade to my wrist. At that moment, the storm that had been my life had calmed. As I saw the beads of blood well up it seemed as though everything else had disappeared. That was the start of my downward spiral; I would continue to cut for the next 5 years. I was ashamed of my new addiction. I hid my cuts and scars well for months underneath jackets and wristbands. My father was the first person to see my flaws; I was washing dishes when he saw my cuts. I lied and said it was from playing with the cats, but he saw right through it. Within weeks I was in my first counseling session. It didn’t last long, my counselor didn’t want me to continue my sessions. She told my parents that she didn’t know how to help me because I wouldn’t talk. She also recommended that my parents tell me where I really came from because she thought that might help me. That weekend, my parents and sister told me the truth about my biological mother, the drugs, and the withdrawals at birth. Mona, my biological mother, was also my father’s niece. She had been off and on drugs since her late teens. My biological father, Toby, was also a heavy drug user, and abusive to my birth mother. Mona knew she was going to give me up for adoption. My brother was only a couple of months old when she found out about me and she couldn’t handle another child. At seven months pregnant, she went to her uncle and aunt to ask if they wanted to adopt me. Mona knew they couldn’t have more children, but they still wanted another one. My father and mother jumped at the chance, and Mona said she had been off drugs since she found out about the pregnancy. After I was born, it had quickly become obvious that I was suffering from withdrawals. The doctors ran a drug panel on me and it tested positive for methamphetamine. I suffered complications because of it. After my parents

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Overcoming Depression

...HOW I OVERCAME DEPRESSION I was born and raised in Indonesia, within a close knit family. Growing up, I was very close to my family even though life was difficult because of the economic situation in Singapore. Still we made do for a very long time. From a very young age my parents had high expectations of me and this put a lot of pressure on me to always be the best I can be. I started working at age 11 for my mother’s company while I was still in school. After I finished school, I got a job with a radio station in Indonesia that was lovely and exciting but I needed to do more. I had the opportunity to move to the United States to attend community college and therefore I took it. I felt very lucky for this, moving away from the pressures of home I felt was all I needed. I had started feeling lowly and unhappy at the age of eighteen, so I felt moving away was a perfect way to start over a new and wonderful life. When I got to California, I was excited and felt overjoyed. The first few weeks were exhilarating and I completely forgot my sadness. I was so involved in finding a job, starting school and everything was perfect. I liked the view from the apartment I got, and every day I would sit and stare out the window wondering how I got to be that lucky. Then slowly at first, my thoughts as I stared out of the window all had guilty undertones, I was mad and questioned myself on why I had felt happy leaving my only family behind. So I stopped going to the window, but the thoughts...

Words: 3399 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Aaa's Role In Overcoming Great Depression

...Few historians will disagree that the New Deal Farm program was a crucial factor in overcoming Great Depression in America. Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA), was the core of the New Deal Farm program. It was promulgated in 1933 by Franklin D. Roosevelt, due to the economic crisis Great Depression (Wayne, 3) and became one of the programs that composed New Deal. This investigation will explore to what extent was the AAA crucial in overcoming great depression my comparing and contrasting with other related programs in New Deal. Considering the time period, New deal was in-between WWI and WWII. The end of WWI ended the exportation of American farmer’s supernumerary products, (Domhoff, 90) causing the productivity to accelerate more than...

Words: 1200 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Restorative Practice Approach To Resolving Conflicts

...Depression is a mental health condition characterised by feeling intensely sad, low and moody for prolonged periods of time. Depression is one of the most common mental disorders experienced. If depression is not treated or dealt with correctly, it can keep people from functioning normally and affect every aspect of their life, often leading to social isolation, and in the worst case scenario, can result in suicide. According to the Australia Institute of Health and Welfare (2007), a mental disorder affects one in four young people. Of all age groups, 18-24 year olds have the highest prevalence of mental disorders and the leading cause of death in 15-24 year olds is youth suicide (ABS, 2012). In Australia in 2010, mental and behavioural disorders accounted for 12.9% of the total...

Words: 997 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Compassion Fatigue

...Running head: COMPASSION FATIGUE: CARING FOR THE CAREGIVER Compassion Fatigue: Caring for the Caregiver Kimberly Flowers Grand Canyon University Spirituality in Health Care HLT-310V Patricia Mullen March 24, 2012 Compassion Fatigue: Caring for the Caregiver Introduction Compassion represents an “acknowledgement of another’s suffering and is accompanied by the expression of a desire to ease or end that suffering.” (Van der Cingal, 2009, p. 124) This is a fundamental characteristic usually found in health care workers and nurses especially. In one twelve hour shift, a nurse’s job can change from taking vitals and administering medications to performing life saving measures or even holding a dying patient’s hand as they transition from this world to the next. And in that same few hours, a myriad of emotions can flood the soul with such force it leaves one drained and exhausted. This would be a very difficult roller coaster of emotions for anyone, but multiply that times three or four days per week for many years. It is no surprise that health care workers are extremely susceptible to emotional and physical fatigue, also known as compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is that fatigue brought on by giving so much of one’s self for an extended period of time without taking time to revive or replenish one’s own physical, emotional and spiritual needs. This paper will explore the nature and causes of five major...

Words: 2050 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Counseling Clinical Depression: Nouthetic Versus Contemporary Christian Counseling

...Depression is a state of mind in which a person has feelings of sadness, helplessness, negative thoughts, guilt, and other feelings that usually last longer than the average mood that results from experiencing the ups and downs that life brings. Bouts with depression can last for weeks, months, and even years. People exhibit depression through a lack of interest in things that would normally motivate them to action, a lack of attention and/or production on and off of the job and at home, as well as in other areas of life where the same people would normally thrive. Sometimes physical affects are the results of depression. Things such as weight loss, achiness, and other symptoms that are unexplainable to physicians are often attributed to depression. It is estimated that 6.7 percent of Americans who are over the age of 18 suffer at some point from depression in any given year.[1] Christians are not immune to depression or its affects. Pastors and Christian counselors often meet people who face depression for a variety of reasons, up to and including sin. Inside of the Christian circle there are many different views and methods on handling depression. Some view depression as an illness, and say that it is something that cannot be controlled by the person who is experiencing it. Others say that depression is always the result of some type of sin guilt, and that the person who experiencing depression has a need in one way or another to release this sin and ask for forgiveness. Even...

Words: 3851 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

What Does Seabiscuit Symbolize

...Zach Carson English 4, Period 4 Mr. Kucharik 10/22/2017 Seabiscuit Seabiscuit , is a very unique book about an American horse whose name is, you guessed it, Seabiscuit. Seabiscuit became a household name in the horse racing business in the 1930s during the Great Depression. He was a symbol of hope for many Americans during this time. Seabiscuit was the baby of a horse named Swing On. When he was born, he was extremely small, and very ugly, but many thought he had the smarts. The place in which Seabiscuit grew up had absolutely no interest in training him. He is then...

Words: 1059 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Mood Disorders

...mood or prolonged emotional state. Almost anyone can suffer from mood disorders including children. These disorders range from depression, bipolar disorder to mania. In each of the states of the disorder, the person is either in a euphoric state or extremely sad state of mind. Although a person may experience mood changes in their life, and may be happy at times and then sad other time, it become a psychological disorder when the symptoms last longer than a certain amount of time. Depression is the most common mood disorder. With depression comes feelings of overwhelming sadness, lack of interest in activities, and excessive feelings of guilt or worthlessness. People who suffer from depression feel they have failed tremendously in life and therefore find it hard to be sociable, they are always tired, and they never feel comfort or pleasure. They find it hard to concentrate on anything and they lose interest in sex and food as a result. Some of the signs of depression include changes in short-term memory, insomnia, and in extreme cases suicide weighs heavily on their minds. There are two categories for depression; major depressive disorder is the term used to describe intense sadness, depressed mood, and loss of interest in almost everything. Dysthymia is a milder form of depression with the same symptoms, the difference being this form of depression only last for about two years. Mania is the state in which a person becomes euphoric, or extremely active, excessively talkative...

Words: 872 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

On Depression and College Students

...Depression, one of the most common of the diagnosed mental disorders, is troubling the college students in an increasing rate. Psychologists define depression as mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended period of time. Although it may sound simple, this ailment should not be underestimated; it must be understood well to avoid grave consequences. Most of the college students fail to notice that they are afflicted by depression, which in turn greatly affect their academic performances. It is imperative that these students be aware of this disorder in order to survive their university lives. First, it should be known to all that depression is caused by many factors instead of believing that it is caused by a one-time event such as failing an exam. Depression among college students may be rooted on their inability to adjust to the culture of their university. Changes in their environment, being away from the family, and new peers and influences stress these students, and when they fail to adapt, they inevitably fall into the abyss of depression. The increased competitiveness in the universities and greater academic demands of parents add to these factors which push students to be depressed. Failure to accomplish these goals and responsibilities over and over is another great leap to sadness and frustration. The different lifestyle of being a college student is another factor due to chemical imbalances, lack...

Words: 796 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Depressive Disprder

...Depressive Disorders ------------------------------------------------- Abnormal Psychology 440C “Depression, second leading cause of disability worldwide”-MNT The Anxiety and Depression Association of America states that major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the US. A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It interferes with daily life, normal functioning, and causes pain for both the person with the disorder and those who care about him or her. According to Nemade, Depression was initially called "melancholia". The earliest accounts of melancholia appeared in ancient Mesopotamian texts in the second millennium B.C. At this time, all mental illnesses were attributed to demonic possession, and were attended to by priests. In contrast, a separate class of "physicians" treated physical injuries (but not conditions like depression). The first historical understanding of depression was thus that depression was a spiritual (or mental) illness rather than a physical one (GBC 2013). Depressive disorder was first formally introduced in the fourth version of DSM and was included in Appendix B among omer diagnostic in need of further study (Orstavik 2007). It also addresses other disorders (2-7) such as premenstrual dysphonic disorder, major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia), seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and bipolar disorder also called manic-depressive illness...

Words: 799 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Coco-Cola Vintage Ad

...Coco-Cola Vintage Ad Elizabeth Hamilton Professor Smith Devry University March 28, 2014 Coco-Cola Vintage Ad Throughout its history Coco-Cola has always managed to use advertising as a powerful tool to create that special atmosphere in the minds of consumers that differentiates Coco-Cola from just some generic cola. In the past it was also extremely effective in advertising its product gaining a lot of market share and getting to the top of the market in terms of sales. The essay analyzes a vintage advertisement according to the rhetorical appeals of logos, ethos, and pathos and notes that Coco-Cola effectively uses appeals to authority, logic and emotions to make Coke a lifestyle, not just a drink. The vintage ad analyzed in the essay is a print ad that features the title Coco-Cola and the following text “Is a delightful palatable healthful beverage. It relives fatigue and is indispensable for business and professional men, students, wheelmen, athletes. It relieves mental and physical exhaustion. Is the favorite drink for ladies when thirsty, weary, despondent… Sold in bottles and at soda fountains for 5 cents. Newest refreshing drink in the world”. Clearly, the ad has many claims that nowadays would be consider illegal, inappropriate and simply false, yet back in the days, it was an example of what marketing was about : selling it at all cost even if it meant lying to the consumers. Although, to be fair, many other things, like heroine, morphine, cocaine and LSD were...

Words: 896 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Essay About Bad Life Decisions

...you, like your happiness, your own life and the lives of the ones you love. The ones that failed doing so always have reasons for making those horrible decisions, which would definitely change their lives in to something worse. Just think about it, do we want that to happen to us as well? In this essay, we will uncover some major causes, effects, strategies to prevent us from making immoral life decisions.     The people that sink in the endless river of disastrous life decisions usually steps in to the river because of a few major causes. Major causes includes depression, and unfortunate choices of friends. Depression plays an enormous role in unfortunate life decisions. In most cases, people are depressed because of emotional depressions that they suffer in life, such as death of a loved one and the desire of respect. When people are depressed, they would start making dreadful decisions in order to use it as a depression reliever so that they would be able to keep their minds off events that they would like to forget. Slowly, they would realize that they cannot abandon once they began. Some people fell in the dark river because of the unfortunate choices of friends. Friends always play an important role in our everyday life, and they are one of the biggest influences that we get. Our friends are able to influence us in many ways. Small things like what to read next and vast things like what job to take in the future. Unsuccessful choices of friendships may lead to loss of well...

Words: 1090 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

The Journey

...The Journey The short story ”A Journey” was written by the Irish writer, Colm Tóibín and was published in 2006. By analyzing examples from this text, this essay will first and include a characterization of the narrator Marry; secondly Marry’s relationship towards her son David and their relation to Mrs. Redmond. Thirdly comment on the title of the short story, and finally, a discussion of Andrew Sean Greer’s text “The story of a Marriage” and Paul Mathey’s oil painting will follow. The narrator faces several problems of life, such as her relationship to her son David, and the guilt she feel towards him. The narrator is a woman called Marry who is married to a man called Seamus, and they have a son called David. Marry and Seamus has been married for twenty years and after twenty years of marriage without children, they finally became blessed with a son called David. Or did they really become blessed? The story takes place in the narrator’s car, which is on her way back home with her clinically depressed son. The plot has several flashbacks from Marry’s life, especially memories about her son David, her husband Seamus and her father. One of the first flashbacks that appear is a flashback about her son David, “They were used to being free. Yet David did not really make the great change in their lives that she expected” (page 1, lines 13-14), this indicates that Mary and Seamus was not bonded with their son from the start, they were not ready having a child, although...

Words: 615 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Thoughts

...To the boy who breathes ashes and dust, whose eyes contain the most beautiful sunset. Whose smile beams like the moon kissing the skies at cold nights. Whose autumn hair dances waltz in the spring wind. Whose fingers are pointed and long, hand soft as a cotton that I wish to hold forever. The stars and you are the same. You are beautiful but only at a distance. And kissed me like sending a thousand lightning on my spine. I tasted salt in your mouth as if you drank the waters of the ocean; good thing you didn’t drown. My skin had blood marks on because you held me so tight that winter night. But that didn’t matter because I love you. And I mean it. -End- It’s a little bit funny how I cut fringes out of my long hair And I would feel very sad every time I look at the mirror. Like I was carry kettle bells with each of my finger I thought every girl in school was perfect and not fat And I curse myself for not being alike. I wasn’t good with words spoken or written, and I was ashamed of myself every time I stood in front to say , perhaps stutter. I look above with a beaten heart. The stars at night became my mother. My father was the moon. Or so I thought. As days went by, I became even sadder. I kept on dropping hints Of sadness and they fall like nothing. As nobody...

Words: 255 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Depression in College Students

...pression Affects College Students How Depression Affects College Students Nikki M. Broadnax Elementary Education Major Abstract The age group of depressed college students is 18 – 32 many students find the adjustment from high school to college difficult. Even the student that seems most at ease with their new lifestyle will often confess to moments of missing their familiar high school friends, family and other comforts of home. A study by UCLA reports that more than 25-30 percent of college freshmen say they feel overwhelmed most of the time in the beginning stages of college. Some students, however, find themselves feeling much more than simply overwhelmed. 2006 college seniors surveyed, the numbers has increased 50% since the 1970s. Unthinking depression has its peak in females between the ages of 18-40, and for males between 21-40, emphasize that depression occurs at all ages. The difference between adult and childhood pictures of depression have been attributed to an inability of the child to verbalized his or her affective state incomplete superego development, and absence of consistent self-representation. How Depression Affects In College Students More than 18 million adults, almost a tenth of the United States population above the age of 17-23, have been found to demonstrate symptoms of a depressive disorder each year (Rosack, July 8, 2010) Depression is defined as a state of intense sadness or despair that has progressed to a level that...

Words: 2357 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

A Secret

...ever envisioned or planned the route to movie empires or giant theme parks? No, he had a dream, and the universe made it happen for him. After asking you virtualize, try to imagine yourself already obtaining your wish. Never ever do "negative" wishes ie "I don't want to be poor" because if you keep thinking you are poor, you will constantly be. Change it to "I want to be rich!". So no "I wish my mom will stop yelling at me." Say instead "My mom and I get along so well and for that I am thankful!" Other than making your wishes here's the hardest bit - ALWAYS HAVE GOOD EMOTIONS. The book says that there are only 2 kinds of emotions - GOOD AND BAD. Good is when you are happy, inspired, contented, hopeful etc... And the bad... Depression, disappointment, anger,...

Words: 371 - Pages: 2