UHNW and HNW WOMEN: 16 BEST METHODS AND TECHNIQUES TO BRING YOUR WELL-BEING TO THE NEXT LEVEL FROM DEPRESSION
facets of you – UHNW WOMEN & MENTAL HEALTH
16 BEST METHODS AND TECHNIQUES TO BRING YOUR WELL-BEING TO THE NEXT LEVEL FROM DEPRESSION
YOUR SURVIVAL GUIDE
Join today’s conversation on why you as an UHNW or HNW Woman are thinking about embarking on a survival mission to find methods and techniques to help with alleviating your depression. Hopefully bringing about an improved you in the way that works best for you. So the question is how does depression feel to you today? In the here and now. How do you open the conversation with others? Who are the others? What has been beneficial to your recovery with depression? This is my raison d’etre to help you talk about your depression.
You are an affluent woman. You are shy or an introvert. Perhaps with low level autism. You live in an affluent home. You live an affluent lifestyle. You have weight fluctuations. You have dietary impulses. Yet for whatever reason you now want to be with people who accept you for you. Warts and all.
The good thing about depression, if you can equate good things with depression, is that there are many more definitions, causes, symptoms and treatments for depression. Depression is no longer solely dependent upon prescriptions. Depression is no longer solely dependent upon being tied to a machine and receiving electric shocks. Depression is no longer dependent upon being shocked or frightened by startling you to death. Depression is as varied as the people who suffer from depression. Different things work for different people. People are finding a myriad of ways to help them cope with their depression. Even the smallest method or technique can make a big difference. Having a conversation with someone is one of them. It is a positive thing to do and it delivers mental rewards.
One of the things that depression has evolved into is the ability to produce self help and support groups. Within local densely populated communities, for example at inner city community halls/centres. Within business companies, for example a relaxation or prayer room where scheduled meetings take place under the care of an external consultant/physician. Within remote towns and villages through social media platforms, for example a VOIP platform where participants (able bodied and handicapped) can meet up online and discuss issues with a psychology consultant. Within the premises of a consultant. Within local hospitals or clinics. Within church halls. Within a pub room. Within a hotel. The possibilities are endless. All you have to do is believe in your well-being, be with trusted people and talk.
DID YOU KNOW that depression is a major disability worldwide that affects more people than realised? According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), depression is one of the main causes of disability across the globe. Indeed, it is estimated that more than 300Mn people suffer from it. Depression does not discriminate. It welcomes all equally.
My name is Jay. I am a coach for Face Everything And RISE sessions that caters specifically to UHNW and HNW Women and I have experienced depression. In over 40 years I have supported friends, family, colleagues, associates and complete strangers who have encountered depression. The one thing that is common with them all is the need to talk. To be listened to. For some semblance of comprehension. For some semblance of empathy. Saying that, depression can be really challenging to broach. How do you start the conversation when you are on a low and the other person that you are with is on a high?
Join the table. I have the freshly squeezed juice and crudités ready.
DEPRESSION HAS A VARIETY OF FACES, COLOURS & BEHAVIOURS – ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL
Client: Miriam
Miriam: It is only when you start discovering methods and techniques in helping you to alleviate your depression, that you honestly begin to realise your inner strengths as you journey with the baggage that is your depression. You truly do. You enlighten yourself in discovering things you never knew you had the ability to possess. It is the talking with others that helps you discover things. Finding solutions.
Just be you. Not what others expect you to be. Being confident and honest is important in order to convey what you are talking about. Be mindful that other people shall not understand you and your depression. Know that this is not your problem, but theirs. They simply do not understand where you are coming from or what you are going through. You are not here to convince other people, as that is a waste of your energy. You are wherever you are to seek the help that you need with people who already understand your situation. Or are open to you; without judgement, to assist you.
Do you know what is really off putting about people who have no idea about having depression. It is the whispering and gesturing towards you that they do when you are in public places. It is as though they believe that you are going to break out in a mad scene and their ill-informed, preconceived ideas about depression is justified. You know the stuff that they say and it is not you being paranoid. With these people you do not need to involve yourself with or divulge as to how you feel. They are not a part of the solution.
Client: Porche
Porche: It is amazing how many people look at me and are instantly judgemental in thinking that because I lead a wealthy lifestyle that there is nothing that I could possibly want. That there is absolutely nothing wrong with me.
Jay: Yes. I understand that. When I was going through homelessness in London less than 10 years ago I went to a women’s refuge and the other women there; staff and visitors, just looked at me and stated that there was nothing wrong with me. That I was being disruptive (trying to gather legal assistance, trying to find a place to live, trying to build a new business), as I was not behaving in the ways that they imagined women who were homeless or depressed should behave(?!). They did not witness me break down. They did not witness me support other women who were also going through homelessness, etc., etc., etc., In the end, the unrelenting stress from being in the atmosphere of those so-called female professionals took its toll and I left. I never returned. They were not the type of so-called professionals that I wanted to spend any more time around. Those people were judgemental upon me and decided that there was nothing wrong with me. I had to find my own support network who understood people like me. I actually had to create my own network of people, as there was nothing available that resonated with me. So I fully understand you Porche.
Client: Porche
Porche: What angers me most about women only organisations like that, you know the ones that profess to help women through professional help, is that they receive funding from the state and are essentially only interested in ticking audit boxes. Then there are the students; glorified managers or team leaders, who use your distressing situations as a case study in order to get their qualifications. They have no idea what you are going through and they happily sit there chatting about their new home, their boyfriends/partners, their accomplishments. Blah, blah, blah. Telling you to attend provided events otherwise you have a black mark against you for non participation, or you shall be kicked out from the support group. How is that going to help you in the mental state that you are in?
Three days ago at 03:00 I woke up. I got out of bed and was having a panic attack. I was thinking about the loss of my baby. The grief. The visit to the grave site. How can I cope with this? Do I want to cope with it? Do I really want to give up on life? One of the things keeping me going is that my experiences with depression might just resonate with another woman who feels as I do. That she is not all alone. I do not care where in the world that she is. If my words help another woman on her journey, as she is going through depression, then this is the perfect outcome. Trying to remain positive is what it is all about for me. Using the glass half full, instead of half empty analogy.
Honestly. The thing that helps me to talk about my depression is knowing that I am not alone. I come across other conversations of people having depression and it helps me. I know that in speaking out about my mental health illness will help others talk about theirs. That is what it is all about.
Client: Anya
Anya: One of the basic things that I do is to write my thoughts and feelings down. To write down what the day held for me. Especially when I am going to see my doctor/consultant. In a support group with trusted people who understand me, I shall also divulge my notes. It is simply a method for me to get the points that I want to get across, without forgetting anything. Doing everything from memory can be a strain at times. Especially when other people in a support group are voicing their ‘stuff’. You can get carried away with all sorts of methods, techniques and experiences that other people are trying to convey, that you almost downgrade what your depression consists of. You try to make it fit someone else’s method that is specific to their depression. As well as writing down my own depression ‘stuff’, I also note down methods and techniques that I have tried or have found that seem to cater to my needs in getting better. I do not simply rely on the doctors for solutions. I always ask other people if they have tried it and listen to their feedback.
Client: Porche
Porche: Do you know what I like. I like the new approaches that some people are creating and taking in making depression visible. Bringing depression out into the open. Making it more of a conversation. Making it more inclusive in society. By making depression more visible it becomes more accessible through utilising this outreach approach. I like it. It means that more and more people are signposted to new places. It means that more and more people who have experienced depression are becoming support networks, or are studying depression. Plus, the stereotypes of individuals with depression are changing. More and more people are using art, music, aromatherapy, dance and being with pets, to help alleviate their depression. I love it!
Client: Miriam
Miriam: It took a while before I was diagnosed. A very long while. Like many people I was too busy with life and just ploughed through the rat race. I had suffered from depression from since I was a child, but it was not diagnosed when I was a child. The signs were ignored by my family and as a child I just ploughed through all issues that revolved around family, friends, education and work. I kept many things locked up inside. The stress grew as I grew older. My hair began to fall out as the more successful and richer I became. I picked up habits. I had a veritable smorgasbord of depression and stress. It was in fact my hairdresser who had convinced me to seek help from my depression. She saw the signs. At that time in my life it was easier to talk to her about it, because she had also been through depression. Without naming names she also mentioned other clients of hers who were under stress and suffering from depression. She was amazing. She listened to me through my tears and exasperation whenever I had an appointment with her. She did not have to, but she did and I am so grateful for that. So having an appointment with my hairdresser is definitely one of the services that I use to help me de-stress and cope with my depression.
Client: Porche
Porche: By being aware of what other methods and techniques are there for depression, it makes me more caring and understanding of what people are going through and their mindset. I will not lie to you, there are durations when I just do not care about anyone. When I cannot leave my home. The depression can get so bad that I really feel as though I do not want to live any more. The depression does its rounds in my head.
Client: Anya
Anya: Sometimes it is not about what people say. Rather the way that they say it that annoys me. So when idiot people with little interest in who I really am, or people that I know ask the question “How are you?” with very little care in their voice or body language, showing me that their mind is clearly on something else, I want to hit them. I want to tell them to “Fuck off!” Instead, somehow, I keep it all inside and just say “Fine.” Then I say nothing. Complete silence. They notice the silence; sometimes, and then move the conversation along. At times when I really cannot be bothered to talk to such people I just ignore them. If they telephone me, I put the phone down on them. It does not matter who they are. I just do not have the time of day for them. This is when I reach for my support network. A handful of people in my support network live in different countries, so receiving a telephone call at 01:00 or 04:00 from me is a serious matter.
Losing my life through depression is not an option. Each day that I awake I recognise that I have choices. That I am luckier than most. When I am strong in mind, body and soul I know that I can be a victor. When I am weak in mind, body and soul I know that I can lose the day to depression.
Client: Miriam
Miriam: The hardest thing is trying to keep the depression a secret from people. Trying to keep it in from everyone. Yet learning more about it. Having one foot in the day to day business of making business deals and being wealthy, whilst having the other foot in the company of a mental health doctor/consultant, mental health publications and support groups, networks and/or services. Ensuring that you have, or build, a network of trusted people around you as you keep moving forward. Too many rely on me for their well-being. Employees and business people, including of course family members, so there are responsibilities that need to be taken care of as I handle my depression. So the network of individuals supporting me through my depression is vital.
DIFFERENT THINGS WORK FOR DIFFERENT PEOPLE AT DIFFERENT TIMES: YOU PAYS YOUR MONEY & TAKES YOUR CHOICE
Depression is as varied as the people who suffer from depression. Different things work for different people. People are finding a myriad of ways to help them cope with their depression. Even the smallest method or technique can make a big difference. Having a conversation with someone is one of them. It is a positive thing to do and it delivers mental rewards.
Client: Anya
Anya: Be sure that you only share yourself with people that you resonate with. That you are really comfortable with sharing your notes, feelings and experiences with. Never ever forget that you are in control of where you want to arrive as a solution to your depression. Be with the people that can help you arrive at this destination in a tranquil and secure environment.
Client: Porche
Porche: The easiest place to start from is with those people that you really resonate with. That you feel a heartfelt connection. That understand depression and quite frankly have experienced depression. These are the people that shall really want to help you and shall really listen to you. They shall have done something to prove this to you. Actions speak louder than words.
Client: Miriam
Miriam: When someone is incredibly open and honest with you and shows you some compassion it truly helps. When someone uses your name, or is respectful to you and you feel their energy that they want to help you, you have a little more certainty that they are sincere in wanting to help you. Even saying something like “I want you to know that I am here for you, there is no deadline on this, just when you are ready. I shall not forget that I said this to you.” Having someone say this to you really opens up and plants the seed for special relationship between the two of you.
Jay: Try to talk about your depression on your better days. It is OK if you become tearful. You are sharing a deep emotion with others. It is normal. Having these discussions on your better days with the aid of your notes/diary helps the other person understand you better, but essentially it helps you to make your case about how you are feeling.
Client: Miriam
Miriam: I am making a recovery. I am pleased with that. It is measurable. Each day at a time, but it is measurable and I am open to the world of new and innovative methods or techniques to keep me ahead of the depression. Or at least having one enjoyable experience each day. Regardless of how small that experience might be. Whether it be a funny anecdote. An inspirational story. A pottery class. Or anything that makes my heart smile. I choose not to be scared any more because of my depression. I never thought that I would get to this day and say that. So cheers to me! Cheers to the individuals out there making things better for people like me.
SO WHAT METHODS & TECHNIQUES ARE PEOPLE USING TO HELP THEM ALLEVIATE THEIR DEPRESSION?
16 Top Methods and Techniques to bring your well-being to the next level:
