Utopia. If you’re not
exactly sure what that is, I’ll sum it up for you. It’s an impractical and imaginary ideal of a
perfect society. It’s something that
will never be accomplished because every person has contrasting views on what “perfection”
is. Plus, in my opinion, perfection is
something that is impossible to accomplish in our individual lives, let alone
on the broader scale of an entire society. Yet, we are all entitled to dream of our personal utopia, rational or
not. Perfection is impossible; a utopia will never exist for any man or
woman. So, what isn’t impossible? A
happier society.
You see, there
have been studies showing that approximately 1 in 10 Americans, 18 or older,
suffer from either occasional depression or major depression disorder. At a time in my life, I could account for
being part of that statistic. I believe
that many other issues stem from depression.
A depressed person does not always think with a rational mind and can negatively
affect many people around his or her life which could potentially start a snowball effect and lead to more serious issues.
What is done about this alarming rate of depression? Well, many people and doctors choose the route of medication. Antidepressants are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the U.S. Upwards to more than 10 percent of Americans are on some type of antidepressant medication. These medications
pose very serious physical side effects, like shortness of breath, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, nervousness, sleeping issues, and many more. Not only that, but they can also trigger worsened depression, causing suicidal thoughts and manic behavior. Why are we so quick to medicate these fairly natural issues with pills
and unnatural solutions? Ones that hold the potential to make the given problem even worse (possibly pharmaceutical company profit gains, but that's another topic). I understand that some people need these medication(s) to battle depression, but I believe more should try other avenues first. So, you might ask, “How can I fight depression without prescription medication(s)?”
Different things work for different people, but what worked
for me as a great alternative to antidepressants was giving back and helping others.
Helping and giving to others is shown in many studies to
correlate with a higher level of happiness.
Doing so gives us a sense of purpose and worthiness within our lives, as
I stated in my previous blog post. Not only did it help treat my depression without the use of drugs, but, more importantly, it left a positive impact on the people around me as well.
Imagine a society where everybody woke up to the very
thought of, “I’m going to help somebody today in some way, shape, or form. Large scale, small scale, or something in
between." Theoretically speaking,
everybody would help and be helped. Donating
to charity, lending a helping hand to someone in need, hosting a charity event,
welcoming strangers with a smile... I could go on forever. Imagine a place where people waited patiently
and opened doors for you regularly. A society
where people accepted you for who you were so you would never have to act any
differently from what was in your heart.
Imagine living on a sphere full of “pleases,” “thank yous” and “you’re
welcomes.” How much happier would it
make you to help somebody on a daily basis?
How happy would it make you to know that somebody would be there to help
you throughout your struggles? The
latter question is especially something many of us look for in our lives. Having somebody to talk to or that we can depend
on to help us through life's trials and tribulations is something almost all of
us long for. Imagine a world where
anybody and EVERYBODY were willing to help one another. Would that make you more comfortable? Would that make you happier?
I firmly believe that if more people were willing to help each other, we would face far less societal issues (violence, divorce rates, racism, drug abuse, bullying, etc...).
Other self-help methods that can be used to combat
depression include, but are not limited to, lifestyle changes such as: a healthy diet, regular exercise, and setting
short term goals to accomplish in any facet of life.
This is really just a rant on my part. To end it, I’ll leave you with a
challenge. Help somebody today. A friend, a foe, a family member, a stranger…
anybody. Just lend out your hand with
help on your mind. Good day, all.
"If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change." -Mahatma Gandhi
Until next time…
Check me out on twitter:
@PrallyD
