Look at the Source of the Problem!

This blog is my personal opinion. I am not being paid to share this from an outside source. Any links within will take you to the page on the internet where you can find the quote and additional information.

Think about it for a minute. Depression is growing by leaps about bounds. Are you or is someone you care about suffering from depression? Sometimes, you will never know!

According to PsyWeb.com, "Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses. At least 8 percent of adults in the United States experience serious depression at some point during their lives, and estimates range as high as 17 percent. It affects all types of people, regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic standing."

Are we helping to feed our depression? Think about it. How many times are we eating prepared foods and fast foods, that we really don't know what all the ingredients are? I try to cook from scratch for the main reason that I don't know what is inside most of these prepared foods. Some of the ingredients, I can't even tell you what they are!

According to NaturalNews.com, "According to Professor Julia Rucklidge of the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, poor modern diets could be playing a surprisingly big role in the epidemic. In her research, she has uncovered a number of longitudinal and association studies illustrating the significant impact that diet can have
on mental health."

What about anti-depressant prescriptions?  Want to see a growing problem? Where do you think the levels are now in 2018?

According to MadInAmerica.com, "From 1999 to 2012 the percentage of Americans on antidepressants increased from 6.8% to 13%, according to a report published this week by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)."

To me, all these quotes share the same problem. Too many people are suffering, many in silence, just to deal with the day to day problems in the world today. Personally, I can't give you a magic solution. There isn't one simple solution to this problem, but yes, the problem exists. In Heather's suicide note, she noted that she didn't think it was fair to make her live in a world that she didn't want to be in. Have you ever felt that way? I know I have!

Heather drew the picture I shared on this post for me a few years before she decided that she didn't want to be here anymore, even knowing how much it would hurt us all. Since that time, I have read a LOT about depression and suicide. I have spoken with other Moms and the same stories come out all the time!

I didn't know they were hurting so badly. They seemed so happy all the time. They were always helping others. They were the first ones to jump in when someone was sad and try to cheer them up.

So yes, there are many others, like Heather, that hide their depression. I have 2 other daughters and I will do everything in my power to share reasons to stay. My other daughters and I all vowed to never take Heather's solution. I pray that none of us ever do! No, I am not suicidal, but I am depressed many days and I truly believe my other daughters are not suicidal but I also would have said that Heather wasn't either. Being a suicide loss survivor, I think it becomes ingrained in you almost instantly that any and everyone is susceptible to feeling this pain and depression. Together, we have to work on the world

I am NOT talking about demanding politicians do something. I don't care what party you belong to or even if you don't belong to a party. From my point of view, most politicians worry about themselves first, their party second and well, the people are way down the list at the bottom. So yeah, we aren't going to get any help from there. They may talk about it now and then, but seriously, they won't offer any valid solutions either. That is up to us. We the people. Friend by friend. Co-worker to co-worker. Neighbor to neighbor. We have to start treating each other better.

Every single day, I want you to do two things. First, every day I want you to start by looking in the mirror (if possible) and smile at yourself and tell yourself one good thing about yourself and if you can't think of one right now, think of something or someone in your life that you are grateful for. I'm not talking about having a long drawn out conversation with yourself daily. I'm asking for a minute of your time daily for this. Second, every day I want you to look at one person and compliment them. You may see someone wearing a nice pair of shoes, a nice jacket. If you don't want to say something, that's fine too. Give someone a smile! We can all share smile now and then. They are free. It could help someone.

Do you stop for coffee on your way to work or when you are out running errands? Have enough for an extra cup? Pay for it to go to the next person in line! Imagine the next person in line. They could be hurting over something, stressing over something or just totally distracted by life in general. Imagine their surprise when the cashier says, here you go. The person before you in line asked me to get this for you! If someone did this for you, don't you think it would put a smile on your face?

We can't change the world overnight. But, one day at a time, we can start making a difference. We could Help Stop the Pain for one person. Now, if you share this post, maybe someone else will share it too! Now, imagine all those people, one day at a time, trying to perk up someone's life daily. We really could make a difference. It just takes all of us, together, to want to have a better world to live in.

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