Depression and mood challenges

This year, I restarted on anti-depressant medication. I know I might not look like someone who struggles in this space, with TV interviews, speaking events, and radio shows showing that I have my sh*t together, but as it is mental health awareness week, I wanted to wave the flag for what depression and mood challenges can look like.

Yes, it might be that you can’t get out of bed, that you have totally lost yourself, and that you feel persistently sad. The first time I went through this at 19, that was me.

But like me earlier this year, it might also be that you have high functioning depression. That you are able to put on a brave face a lot of the time and can even muster a smile. But underneath, your thoughts feel dangerously dark, you cry for no reason, and you don’t feel safe in your own company. Even though I was sleeping well, eating well, and moving my body, I was still not ok.

Having got the help I needed, I am now feeling like myself again, and I’m able to face the rollercoaster of everyday life without so much fear. There are so many messages I want to share here, but the key thing is that yes, it is normal to have ups and downs and be sad sometimes. BUT, if you are really struggling, and have been for a while with your mental health, please don’t think you have to accept it. There are people out there to help you, you just have to know that it is ok to ask for help.

Your life matters. You matter. Even if right now, it doesn’t feel that way.

If you need support in the form of therapy or medication, then it is also OK! I have used them many times in my life and I wouldn’t be here without them. These are tools that can be used to help you get into a better space, you don’t have to suffer in silence, and you certainly are not the only one going through these challenges.

Too many people are good at hiding depression, until they aren’t. Then one day, their world can fall apart, and everyone around them is left thinking, ‘I didn’t even know!’. ‘What could I have done to help them?’

Ladies, it is important to know that these mood changes may well be a sign of perimenopause, so that is something to consider! It might be that HRT or similar might be able to help you if this is the case. Please discuss this with your GP, and have a read of my friend Niki Bezzant’s book ‘This changes everything’ if you need help working out if you are perimenopausal or not. She has wonderful advice to support you working through this phase of life.

We weren’t designed to live in a world this crazy, this noisy, this confusing. Our nervous systems are designed for a much more simplistic existence. So don’t give yourself a hard time for struggling.

If you need help managing your mood our team at Mission Nutrition can help too. Kristal is a NZ Registered Dietitian who specialised in this space. And when it comes to menopause, we can help there too!

If you need someone to talk to, here are the help lines:
Mental Health Helplines

BIG love,
Claire x