Coping with Depression
Hariharan, Ravichandran and Netto all refused to seek professional help for their depression. Hariharan and Ravichandran said they got over it after they started college, but Netto is still dealing with it.
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So how did Hariharan and Ravichandran cope with it when they felt depressed?
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Reading: an escape from reality
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Hariharan said she spent a lot of time reading books. A huge bookaholic, she loved to enter the world of a book she was reading and drown away in this world so removed from her own. It was her escape from reality.
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Hariharan also said she confided in her best friend Priya. But that didn’t really help.
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“The thing is that she knew I was depressed, but she didn't know how to help me and cheer me up,” Hariharan said, “so I used to just find a lot of time alone.”
Talking to friends
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Whenever she did try to talk about depression, she and her best friend didn’t have deep conversations. Hariharan said she acted like she was normal, that she was okay, and she didn’t have depression, when she was around Priya. She said this was because she actually believed she was okay when she was with her best friend, talking about books and music.
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Netto has two close friends he said he talks to. He said he sometimes tells them he can’t do it and is thinking about how he’s going to live his life with all the pain he is feeling from the rheumatoid arthritis.
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“So they always say, “Okay, no problem, don't hesitate to call. If want to you say something, please, we are here to hear you. Please don't hesitate to tell anything,” they will say, but I think…,” Netto’s voice trailed off.
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He didn’t want to feel like a burden to his friends. That’s why Netto tries his best not to talk to them too much about his depression.
Anton Abilash Netto
Although Ravichandran said he didn’t talk to anyone about his depression, having his best friend, who switched from CBSE to state board two months after school started, helped. His friend didn’t know he was helping Ravichandran.
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“I didn't talk to him that I was depressed or sad or anything,” Ravichandran said. “It's just, his presence gave me a… He just made me, ‘Okay, I have someone right now. I'm not alone.’”
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Just knowing that there was someone Ravichandran felt like he could talk to if he wanted to helped him cope with his depression.
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Grandma’s love
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In a similar way, Hariharan’s grandmother also helped her without knowing.
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“My grandmother used to talk a lot, but then she didn't know I was depressed,” Hariharan said. “She's a bit old and in their generation there was no depression and all. She just thought I was sad and all.”
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But her grandmother was still very supportive of Hariharan, and often made her favorite food for her.
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However, Hariharan, Netto and Ravichandran all refuse to seek professional help or take medication.