Is Depression Like a Flu?

“Influenza is a viral infection that attacks your respiratory system — your nose, throat and lungs. Influenza is commonly called the flu. For most people, the flu resolves on its own. But sometimes, influenza and its complications can be deadly.” – mayoclinic.org

Ouch! Can you relate? Have you gotten a flu? Have you witness someone with a flu or even flu like symptoms? How do you fashion yourself around them? Do you get a flu shot during that time of the year when this virus is at its peak threat? What is your experience like when you have a flu? How do you treat it? Do you take medication to relieve yourself? Are you in the most category of people as Mayo Clinic stated, where the flu resolves on its own? Have you consider that its complication can be deadly? If so, how do you respond to this awareness?

Awareness is my intention with this Intuitive Reflection. A voice of one who has and is experiencing Self in an episode of depression. I never thought I would be expressing myself from this state of being or lens. I felt ashamed to speak about it, until I’m simply witnessing Self in the experience without judgement. Without judgement of “I could’ve, should’ve, would’ve _____ fill in the blank.” Like I could’ve prevented finding myself in this state. Like I should’ve known better. Like I would’ve been experiencing better feelings than this depression.

Is Depression Like a Flu?

This is what I asked of myself today. Can I take a couple of days off at work and sleep it off to feel better? That my body can restore me back to fullness after 48 hours of doing nothing other than sleep. Can I drive to the nearest convenient drug store to purchase an over the counter dosage of meds, pop a pill, or drink a spoon full of liquid meds to speed up the healing? Maybe just like a Flu, the symptoms of illness can easily be treatable with life strategies, behavioral therapy, and even medication. In the same manner, just like a flu to some of us, it is not easily identified or even treatable over night. Not easily shaken. Nor easily treated with affirmation or even a list of gratitudes. Not easily something you can grope your way out of into the light. Not something you can just get over and move on from.

Awareness, indeed is my intention with this Intutive Reflection. A voice of one gently screaming for help, who has battled with depression, and is experiencing Self in a depressive episode.

Mental Illness still has a stigma and people experiencing this condition still feel silent, not seen or heard in this part of our society. A minority. At the moment, it is not easy to seek professional help let alone support from anyone. In a professional setting, it is not something that can easily be shared with others and feel supported in. It does not easily draw compassion out of our family, but maybe some of our friends.

Like a Flu who’s one experiencing the illness, we don’t organically desire to seek help and reach for support. Like a Flu as one witnessing it, we don’t naturally just want to run to someone who has the flu or is showing symptoms. We do however, have established some sort of support for the treatment of Flu and stop the spread, but not with mental illness. What can we do to improve our attention to this part of our society and compassion for Self?

If we can have annual exam that is covered by insurance, better yet free, and is accessible to anyone, and part of wellbeing routine to detect early signs of illness at the onset. This maybe a support to Mental Health Conditions.

Is Depression Like a Flu? In reflection, it is not. Not just because the symptoms, causes, and treatment isn’t equivalent. The social support for mental illness is not at all comparable to the support we’ve provided to physical ailment. However, in my perception, what is consistent, is that what we don’t understand, we tend to silence. Let it be in our society, community, especially within ourselves.

Can you be an advocate, a voice for your holistic health and truth? If you have not, today you can remove the stigma on Mental Illness and be a voice for Self.

Self-Assessment for Depression PHQ-9
Connect on MIA (Mental Illness Awareness)