I had a Black Dog, His Name was Depression | movie | 2012 | Official Featurette - video Dailymotion

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At its worst, depression can be a frightening, debilitating condition. Millions of people around the world live with dep | dG1fWGlDcm5pTFFHWWM

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00:01I had a black dog. His name was Depression.

00:07Whenever the black dog made an appearance, I felt empty and life just seemed to slow down.

00:13He could surprise me with a visit for no reason or occasion.

00:17The black dog made me look and feel older than my years.

00:22When the rest of the world seemed to be enjoying life, I could only see it through the black dog.

00:26Activities that usually brought me pleasure suddenly ceased to.

00:33He liked to ruin my appetite.

00:36He chewed up my memory and my ability to concentrate.

00:41Doing anything or going anywhere with a black dog required superhuman strength.

00:47At social occasions, he'd sniff out what confidence I had and chase it away.

00:52My biggest fear was being found out.

00:55I worried that people would judge me.

00:57Because of the shame and stigma of the black dog, I was constantly worried that I'd be found out.

01:03So I invested vast amounts of energy into covering him up.

01:07Keeping up an emotional lie is exhausting.

01:10Black dog could make me think and say negative things.

01:15He could make me irritable and difficult to be around.

01:20He would take my love and bury my intimacy.

01:24He loved nothing more than to wake me up with highly repetitive and negative thinking.

01:30He also liked to remind me how exhausted I was going to be the next day.

01:34Having a black dog in your life isn't so much about feeling a bit down, sad or blue.

01:39At its worst, it's about being devoid of feeling altogether.

01:43As I got older, the black dog got bigger and he started hanging around all the time.

01:47I chased him off with whatever I thought might send him running.

01:53But more often than not, he'd come out on top.

01:55Going down became easier than getting up again.

01:59So I became rather good at self-medication.

02:02Which never really helped.

02:03Eventually, I felt totally isolated from everything and everyone.

02:12The black dog had finally succeeded in hijacking my life.

02:16When you lose all joy in life, you can begin to question what the point of it is.

02:21Thankfully, this was the time that I sought professional help.

02:24This was my first step towards recovery and a major turning point in my life.

02:30I learned that it doesn't matter who you are.

02:31The black dog affects millions and millions of people.

02:34It is an equal opportunity mongrel.

02:37I also learned that there was no silver bullet or magic pill.

02:40Medication can help some and others might need a different approach altogether.

02:44I also learned that being emotionally genuine and authentic

02:47to those who are close to you can be an absolute game changer.

02:50Most importantly, I learned not to be afraid of the black dog

02:55and I taught him a few new tricks of my own.

02:59The more tired and stressed you are, the louder he barks.

03:02So it's important to learn how to quiet your mind.

03:05It's been clinically proven that regular exercise can be as effective

03:09for treating mild to moderate depression as antidepressants.

03:12So go for a walk or a run and leave the mutt behind.

03:16Keep a mood journal.

03:17Getting your thoughts on paper can be cathartic and often insightful.

03:21Also keep track of the things that you have to be grateful for.

03:24The most important thing to remember is that no matter how bad it gets,

03:28if you take the right steps, talk to the right people,

03:31black dog days can and will pass.

03:34I wouldn't say that I'm grateful for the black dog,

03:36but he's been an incredible teacher.

03:39He forced me to re-evaluate and simplify my life.

03:42I learned that rather than running away from my problems,

03:44it's better to embrace them.

03:46The black dog may always be part of my life,

03:49that he'll never be the beast that he was.

03:52We have an understanding.

03:54I've learned through knowledge, patience, discipline and humour,

03:57the worst black dog can be made to heal.

04:00If you're in difficulty, never be afraid to ask for help.

04:03There is absolutely no shame in doing so.

04:05The only shame is missing out on life.

04:08The only shame is missing out on life.

I had a Black Dog, His Name was Depression | movie | 2012 | Official Featurette

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