I don't know why I raised this question, maybe I was sad, or depressed, or it was just stress. But I was relaxed after I received the answers from the people who had gone through a lot and made through it. Yes, they consulted a psychologist, and also a psychiatrist. Not that they were a maniac, but warriors, who dared to stand against mental illness and didn't hesitate to ask for help.

Below are the conversations, let's hear what Nicole said about Psychologist.

Nicole: Psychologists help with many different things. If you’re looking for one, find someone you feel comfortable talking to. Don’t feel bad if you dislike them and find someone new. Each one is different from what they believe. I had a primary doctor tell me that depression and anxiety aren’t real and they’re all in people’s head. Psychologists aren’t like that, thank God but there are a few who don’t know how to help and just cause problems instead.

Also, you get what you pay for. I had an opportunity while I was financially troubled and when I was able to turn to people who actually care, I was told that they openly admitted that they believed I was lying and exaggerating. Thank fuck the amazing people I see now told them straight.

Literally, THEY ARE ALL DIFFERENT. If you feel like something is wrong, change psychologists.

No one deserves to know the whole time they were seeking help, that they were never being taken seriously.

Naved: Did it helped you?

Nicole: Well, I have severe mental problems due to a raging and violent alcoholic. So it is very easy for me to say that they helped since I grew up under such circumstances.

My best friend, however, had a different upbringing and having a therapist and physiologist really helped her.

I have a therapist as well. Generally, you need both, not one or the other. The two go hand in hand and work with each other to find the best kind of medication for your specific conditions.

Naved: Thank You. Does depression affect our body?

Nicole: You’re welcome!

It can if you don’t take care of yourself.

Not sleeping, not eating, not keeping up with daily hygienes, are all signs of depression. You can be lazy and show these symptoms but depending on the severity and the way you behave normally is enough to distinguish depression vs laziness.

Lots of things happen when you allow depression to go undiagnosed or going without treatment.

When someone is depressed, the way they think can change.

I have had depression for over a decade. I can tell when I’m sad vs. a depressive episode.

Severe depression can lead to suicide if not taken seriously.

Depressed people who don’t get the proper treatment can think “I know I’m sad now but things have to change”, and when they don’t change, the depression manifests into self-destructive behavior.

Depression can be easily treatable when you understand the way your body reacts. If you can pinpoint triggers, you learn to avoid those.

I have different anxiety disorders, and while I was a teenager I couldn’t make phone calls or speak up when someone makes a mistake.

There are things you cannot avoid for the rest of your life if you keep yourself suffocated in bubble wrap.

You still need to push yourself, but only when you can understand your triggers.

At one point I realized I could not hide behind my mother while she explains they have made a mistake and that was the beginning of me being able to say “hey, I’m sorry but you made a mistake on my change and you owe me more.”

The same goes for depression. Depression is so much more than feeling sad.

There are things about my past that trigger me into a depressive episode where I lose control of my emotions and behavior. I am working on this by understanding what makes me react and to SLOWLY deal with the pain until I no longer isolate myself for weeks.

Self-care is hard but easily doable if you have the want to survive it. Depression doesn’t control you. You just have to learn how to understand the patterns to keep it from being overwhelming.

Depression is the lowest priority for me, so while I do know there is more that can happen to someone with depression, I was fortunate enough to not be one of those people.

Eating disorders and sleep disorders are common with people who have depression.

If those go untreated you have the possibility to land yourself in the hospital with organ failure due to your body not getting nutrients.

If you don’t allow yourself to sleep, you get sleep deprivation which has some very serious and potentially life-threatening possibilities.

Your brain (besides your heart and lungs) is the most important organ in your body and any damage done to the brain can be permanent damage.

Sleep deprivation can cause hallucinations and can cause you to self mutilate or try to attack someone else.

As I said, depression can get dangerous if left untreated. I am sure there are more possibilities of internal danger but that is the most I know off the top of my head.

Now let’s see what Gloria had to say

Here’s what Tara says

Share your opinions and views on this article in the comments section below.

This article is created by Naved Khan and was further proofread by Shreya Singhania. The above snapshots are the real conversation and the identity is kept hidden.

Image Source: Photo by Chau Luong on Unsplash