There were a lot of things that weren’t mentioned in detail during my life story arc, and that was my health.
You see, I wasn't a very healthy baby. I was born with a bad case of pneumonia, and was a child with many allergies. All I ate was sweet potato, rice and vegetables for a number of years, as everything else made me break into rashes.
Whenever I returned to my home country, my whole body would break into rashes as well, and I would have to visit the hospital almost every visit. Not to mention my stomach pain and constant nosebleeds growing up.
As I said, I was a spiteful child. I was jealous of the food everyone else could eat that I couldn't, and how they looked perfectly fine while my face suffered from ugly rashes most of the time. I would have to constantly put on special creams and maintain a strict diet, and I'm thankful that I do not have to experience this today while others are not so fortunate. Heh, I remember the fun times in middle school where I'd go to the sick bay to grab ice for my rashes (cold helps sooth the skin) often.
Unfortunately, with health problems often come with low mood, and starting at a young age, I would experience sudden occurrences of extremely low mood, especially in the evening or in the shower. I still do, but thankfully not as often. It's difficult to explain. An empty feeling knaws at you from inside out, and you feel trapped in a dark abyss with no way out. All your motivation and emotion has been sucked out from you... something like that. The worst moments are when you're with a friend or a group of people when the low mood hits. You force a smile and pretend that everything's fine.
So what are the triggers of this low mood? There are three I can think of. 488Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOaUGgHqzVR
1. Showering. Maybe it's because your body is the most relaxed and so it's somehow a physiological phenomenon...? Or something about the sudden change in temperature?488Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33nNM4nz9k
2. Physical pain, usually an ache like a stomach ache or headache. Maybe low mood happens more often when I'm tired, but I don't remember enough to make that correlation.488Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25PK2aaKIk
3. Will probably explain this in another chapter, but the piano.488Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2c127hZ5b3
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So how do I manage this low mood? Luckily for me, it doesn't last longer than a few minutes, and it's been happening less often. However, if you're experiencing reoccurent low mood for extended periods of time, it's possible you have a mood disorder, so please get professional help.488Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXrCFuKEDL
To sound randomly professional, if you have 7 or more of the following symptoms for at least two weeks, or three or more for a very long period of time (months, years), you are likely to have major depression or persistent depressive disorder:488Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirvw4y4hg3
- Depressed mood, children can have irritable mood488Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCy9koCHJ7
- Diminished interest/pleasure in hobbies488Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcDdTHf6m3
- Fluctuating appetite and therefore weight488Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKeTETXfbP
- Insomnia/Hypersomnia488Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3f2HvXPxs
- Fidgety/noticeable slowing in movement488Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RvepfNaty
- Fatigue, loss of energy488Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFghHUyUL6
- Worthlessness488Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgSPbHskZn
- Diminished thinking488Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVC7Qptvr1Z
- Thoughts of death488Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjWomCzVBy
Alternatively, if you have constant high mood and consistently make impaired decisions, you might have mania. Of course, consult a professional, not someone who's done one psychology paper.488Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNDm1YkW3m
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Anyway, health. I don't think my health is at all that great, to be honest. I no longer eat at scheduled times, and my sleeping schedule is messed up. But... at least I'm not constantly in pain. For a period of time, I couldn't remember what it felt like to NOT be in pain. 488Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEaB9y0epZ
If you're young, please take care of your health. I know the struggle with delayed gratification, but when you're in your 30s, you'll regret it. Young people aren't supposed to be getting backaches and irritated eyes so soon. (My eyes have been dying lately. Oh, I'm not 30, by the way... this is secondhand information... T_T)
