Depressed? Do A Status Check.

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Do A Status Check
- Ch: 2.3 of How To Get Your Sh!t Together -

“Hangry (hang-ree) adj. A state of anger caused by a lack of food; hunger causing a negative change in emotional state.” – Meme

The mind and body are completely interconnected. If something is wrong in the body, the mind may be the first place to show it. Irritability can be caused by tiredness or feeling cold. Headaches and mental tension can often be cured by hydration. Heightened anxiety levels can be significantly reduced by eating. The symptoms of depression are very similar to those of overtraining.

When I ‘Notice The Warning Signs’ (chapter 2.2) of an oncoming mental affliction, or when I find myself suffering through one, I perform a ‘Status Check’. This is a quick check to see if my deteriorating mental state could be caused by something physiological, and thus easily fixed.

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TAKE ACTION

Whenever you ‘Notice The Warning Signs’ of a mental affliction, do a ‘Status Check’. Ask yourself the following questions. Really consider the possibility that one or more of these may be the cause:

- Am I tired?
- Am I hungry?
- Am I thirsty?
- Am I sick?
- Am I injured?
- Am I over trained?
- Am I too cold?
- Am I too hot?

If you come up with a ‘yes’ for any of the questions, take action to address the issue and re-evaluate if you are still feeling the symptoms of a mental affliction.

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It may seem silly to ask yourself these questions, as the answers seem self-apparent. However, if we are distracted or stressed, physiological symptoms may present as mental afflictions.

Sometimes I am so tired or sick that I don’t even realize it. I feel increasingly anxious, dissociated and depressed. It can feel like I am about to slide into a terrible hole that may take weeks to recover from. But if I take a step back and do a ‘Status Check’, the cause becomes clear and I can then address the problem.

By performing a ‘Status Check’ you are taking the time to mindfully review all of the possible options that could be causing the symptoms of a mental affliction and potentially cutting them off at the root. This is important because although the symptoms of a mental affliction may start from a physiological cause, they could then stick with you.

For example, feelings of depression may start from the physiological sensation of feeling too cold. If left unaddressed, the psychological symptoms of depression tends to grow off its own momentum. Soon you may start ruminating, developing negative self-talk as well as feeling issues related to self-harm. What started as simple coldness has quickly grown into a monster that may take weeks to battle.

A quick ‘Status Check’ could have prevented all of that suffering. So take action before it starts!

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 “To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.” – Socrates

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Every ‘Status Check’ involves looking internally and considering how you are feeling. This means that they are a great way of getting to know yourself. It will be challenging at first, but this skill will quickly become second nature. The usefulness of such introspective skills cannot be understated.

If you know yourself, you know what you are capable of, what will impact you, and how.

Not only will you be better at determining the cause of mental afflictions, you will also become better at making decisions in all aspects of life. Decisions that involve choosing where to live, what work responsibilities to take on, who to partner with, what hobbies to undertake, and what to invest in (how much risk you can handle), all stem from knowledge of yourself.

While performing a ‘Status Check’ only looks at surface level physiological signs, the introspective skills that you gain will transcend this exercise and provide lifelong benefits.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: The status check turned up a ‘No’ for all questions. What do I do now?

A: This suggests that the symptoms you are feeling are likely caused by a mental affliction and not a physiological issue. It is time to TAKE ACTION to start addressing the issue. Use some of the exercises found in this book and seek the advice of your therapist, sooner rather than later.

Q: What if I am so mentally afflicted that I struggle to have the capacity to contemplate that it could be caused by a physiological issue?

A: That level of mental affliction strongly suggests the need for a quick intervention. If you cannot determine if you are hungry or thirsty, you need some external assistance sooner rather than later. Consider implementing your ‘Crisis Plan’ (chapter 3.6) immediately.

If however the issue is one of difficulty in actually knowing if you are hungry, thirsty, cold, tired etcetera, then it is a matter of practice. Learning the skill of introspection takes time, it can be initially hard for some people to notice what their bodies are telling them. This is particularly the case for victims of abuse. In order to survive the trauma they had to dissociate away from the sensations of their body, blocking them off. It will take time, and potentially therapy, for them to reconnect with their bodies.


Resources
The Mind Illuminated, John Yates
Mindfulness In Plain English, Bhante Gunaratana

Summary
The symptoms of physiological conditions often present as similar to mental afflictions. Ask yourself how you are feeling physically and address those issues first.