Facing mental illness requires a level of bravery often unseen and unacknowledged. Every day, countless individuals muster the courage to step into the unknown, battling depression and other mental health challenges. Join me, Tamera Trotter, as I recount my personal journey of transformation—from enduring prolonged depressive episodes to managing them within just a day. Discover how the relentless resolve to embrace change and resilience can empower you or someone you love to fight these invisible battles. This episode is a heartfelt tribute to the strength of those who rise each morning, ready to confront depression, despite the uncertainty it brings.
We'll redefine what it means to be courageous when living with a mental illness. If you're striving to understand the internal struggles of a loved one, or if you yourself are on this daunting journey, this episode offers hope, encouragement, and practical strategies. Learn actionable self-care steps that can help reclaim your life, even when depression feels insurmountable. Reflecting on how the pandemic has further complicated these challenges, we stress the importance of proactive measures and self-compassion. Tune in for a conversation that not only acknowledges the hardships but also celebrates the small victories in the ongoing fight for mental health.
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Episode Transcript
Hello and welcome to Win Over Depression.
I am your host, tamara Trotter.
This podcast is dedicated tothose who suffer with a mental
illness but try every single dayto feel better.
It's also dedicated to those ofyou who want to learn more
about your loved one who maysuffer with a mental illness.
(00:27):
Did you know that there areover 800,000 people that commit
suicide every single year?
And that means that every 50seconds, someone is choosing to
take their life?
Today, on when Over Depression,we will be talking about courage
.
So let us first define what ismeant by courage.
(00:51):
Courage is the choice andwillingness to confront agony,
pain, danger, uncertainty orintimidation.
Valor is courage or bravery,especially in a battle.
So every single person whosuffers with a mental illness
(01:13):
and gets up every single day isabsolutely a courageous
individual.
Because when you suffer with amental illness and you know that
your day is going to beuncertain, because when you get
up in the morning you don't knowhow the day is going to go,
(01:33):
because eventually thedepression shows up in some
shape, form or fashion andyou're not sure if you're going
to have the strength or thecourage to make it through.
And that's why, in many of myepisodes, I talk about how, when
you suffer with a mentalillness, you have to rise to the
(01:54):
occasion every single day.
It's like being in the fightfor your life every single day.
Because, guess what?
No one gets a pass when itcomes to having to provide for
yourself, having a means to payyour rent or pay your mortgage
(02:15):
or pay your bills.
No one gets a pass, not eventhose who suffer with a mental
illness.
So we have to be courageous inorder to fight the battle that's
in front of us.
And do we get tired anddiscouraged at times?
Absolutely.
But what we have to realize isthat depression is not our fault
(02:39):
.
It's due in large part, to achemical imbalance in our brain,
and when we realize and acceptthat, then we are closer to
being able to put together atangible action plan.
And so I want you to rememberthat, even on days when
(03:01):
depression wins and gets thebest of you, on days when
depression wins and gets thebest of you, you still are
courageous, because you stillhave the opportunity to live and
to fight another day.
But it's when we feel sohopeless and helpless that we
just give up, and when we startto give up and give in to our
(03:24):
symptoms of depression.
That is what prolongs theepisode of depression and that's
what causes us to sink intothat quicksand.
So we have to be mindful andproactive when we feel that
coming on, so that we canovercome and be able to get out
(03:47):
of that situation.
I used to remember years ago,when I suffered from depression,
how I could be depressed fortwo weeks at a time, sometimes a
month at a time.
But I've been able since then,due to some hard work that I've
put into place and really justchallenged myself, to where I
(04:08):
can usually get out of anepisode of depression within 24
hours.
And so I know that if I can doit, you could do it.
If you told me when I wasfeeling so depressed that I will
be able to produce a podcastand be consistent every single
Friday with dropping a newepisode, I would have said
(04:31):
absolutely not.
So I am living proof that if Ican do it, you can certainly do
it.
All it takes is some courage onyour part and you being
committed and willing to do thework.
So you know how people say thatthey are fighting cancer or
(04:52):
they're fighting some otherillness.
When you are fighting yourmental health and your mental
illness.
It's the same thing and itrequires immense courage and
resilience.
It's often a battle that takesplace in the shadows, invisible
(05:13):
to the outside world, yetintensely demanding on the
individual's inner strength.
So it is very true that whenyou suffer with a mental illness
, you have to learn how tobecome a stronger individual,
and the truth is some of us arejust not as strong as others.
(05:36):
But whatever you can do tostrengthen yourself, it's going
to help you dealing with yourmental illness.
So, because each day can be adaily struggle, it's going to
take courage to face the daywith a relentless resolve in
(06:02):
order to get out of bed in themorning, engage in self-care
activities or simply face theday's challenges.
And it's even more difficultbecause of the pandemic and
everything that has happened.
There are so many people whoare experiencing mental illness
(06:26):
and fighting depression for thefirst time in their lives and
unfortunately, some people endedup committing suicide.
And I'll just be very honestwith you Some people just could
not handle everything that wasgoing on during this pandemic,
(07:03):
everything that was going onduring this pandemic, and they
took a very serious attitudetoward it and decided to just
not be here anymore and left thepeople behind who never thought
that they suffered from anytype of mental illness.
Those people were devastatedover their friends and loved
ones committing suicide, andthat's why this podcast and the
work that I do with mentalhealth is so very important to
me, because if I can save thelife of one person, all the work
that I do is more than worth it.
(07:27):
So just know that you are goingto have setbacks when it comes
to dealing with your mentalillness.
So expect it.
Just do not let it consume you,you.
And on the days when you have asetback, just wait for the next
(07:49):
day to come and try again.
Even if you have two days in arow where you're just not able
to get out of bed or you're justnot feeling up to talking on
the phone or being around anyone, that's fine.
Just know that when you're ableto be vulnerable enough to
(08:10):
share your situation with aloved one, then you'll have an
accountability partner that youcan speak to.
On days when you're down fromdepression, suffer in silence
because of the embarrassment,and I remember believing, when I
(08:31):
was first diagnosed, that Ididn't want anybody to know
because I thought that it was aweakness and I said I'm not a
weak person, so I don't wantpeople to think I'm weak, so I
didn't want to tell anybody.
And so when we are dealing withthis battle against mental
illness, courage is not alwaysloud or visible, because courage
(08:57):
is sometimes found in the quietmoments of perseverance and
resilience.
And when we choose to seek help, despite the fear of judgment
or the stigma, then we know thatwe're really being proactive
(09:17):
when it comes to fighting ourmental illness.
And so what baffles me is thefact that anyone who suffers
with a medical condition likeheart disease or diabetes or a
thyroid condition, we arewilling to take the medication
without even thinking twice.
(09:38):
But when it comes to takingmedication for a mental illness,
all of a sudden we just don'twant to take it, and I just
don't understand that.
There is no difference in youhaving a physical ailment versus
a mental health condition.
And when you decide that thatis true, then you can get
(10:06):
yourself to that better place.
But when you decide that youdon't agree with the diagnosis
and you don't plan on doinganything proactive, then you are
prolonging your ability to getbetter Once you have accepted
that you need help, and if thathelp consists of taking
(10:31):
medication or seeing a therapistor whatever is recommended,
then you are taking the firststep toward feeling better, and
it's totally up to you to decideand to determine.
But I'm going to tell you thisevery single thing that we do in
(10:51):
our life, our mental health isaffected by it.
If you want to start a businessand you want to make this great
idea that you have be known tothe world, but you don't have
your mental health in check,it's going to be very difficult
for you to succeed in thatbusiness.
(11:11):
Why?
Because when you suffer withdepression, you have mood swings
, and a business person who hasmood swings is not going to be
someone that other people wantto work with.
They're not going to understandthat.
So your mental health shouldcome first and you should care
(11:33):
enough about yourself and becourageous enough to do the work
.
And once you get past thathurdle, then you can get to a
place where you're feelingbetter, you're able to
participate in activities thatyou once liked but stopped doing
(11:55):
, you're going to want to bearound your friends and your
family and your total outlook onlife is going to improve.
So I know that, if you'relistening to this podcast
episode, that you want to getbetter, and I believe that for
you, so I encourage you to dosome homework for me.
(12:18):
What I'd like for you to do iswrite down three things that you
can do to let people know abouthow you're really feeling and
be able to allow them to helpyou.
So that's the first step isletting someone know how you
(12:39):
feel and that you would liketheir help, and I know it's not
easy to trust people like theirhelp, and I know it's not easy
to trust people, but there hasto be at least one person that
you can confide in, that youtrust with your feelings, that
you can let them know about yourmental health condition.
The second thing I want you todo is do your best to reduce the
(13:04):
amount of sugar that you intakeby 50%.
A lot of people don't realizethat sugar exacerbates
depression and mental illness.
So if you can eliminate it by50%, you're automatically going
to start feeling better.
(13:25):
And the third thing I'd like foryou to do feeling better and
the third thing I'd like for youto do every single day select
two goals that you want toachieve for that day and make
sure you get them done, and theydon't have to be big goals.
One goal can simply be to getout of your bed and to make your
bed.
Another goal could be walkingto the mailbox, walking around
(13:49):
the block, taking your dogs fora walk, checking the mail,
washing the dishes, vacuumingone room in your home.
Once you do those three things,number one was get to a place
where you trust somebody withyour situation.
Number two is make sure thatyou are eliminating sugar as
(14:18):
much as you can.
And number three is completingat least two goals every single
day.
If you can do that within oneweek, you will be feeling so
much better.
So you are courageous, you haveeverything that you need to be
successful, and I know that youcan get to the place where you
(14:44):
deserve to be.
So I never want to end mypodcast without thanking you so
very much for listening.
You are the best part of winover depression and thank you
for all of your support.
Would you please follow us onTikTok at win over depression.
You can also like and subscribeto our YouTube channel, also
(15:04):
called win over depression.
Thank you so much for signingon and listening to this episode
119 of when Over Depression,and we will see you next time.
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