Abigail Hannah, urban planner-turned-marketing business owner, is the creator and host of travel podcast Aotearoa Adventures , where she delves into local travel, adventure, and the outdoors in New Zealand. OPINION Warning: This article deals with depression and mental health . Please see below for help and crisis information At 19 years old, I found myself utterly powerless, overwhelmed by negative emotions and thoughts.
I had a deep sense of hopelessness and I couldn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. I stopped going to my university classes, I wasn’t showing up at my part-time job, and I hid myself away from going to social gatherings. Simple things like eating, showering , and dressing myself became impossible challenges I couldn’t complete.
I was unable to do anything except sleep and repeat each day. In complete despair, I was robbed of any sense of joy, motivation and hope for the future. A friend made a call to a crisis care team and the next thing I knew, I was booked for an appointment at Greenlane Clinical Centre.
I met with a psychiatrist and psychologist through crisis care and was diagnosed with clinical depression, prescribed antidepressants , and I was referred to a counsellor. This was such a weight off my shoulders. It was my lifesaver in the storm I was stuck in.
Finally, someone recognised that I was struggling, that I was ill and that I needed help beyond what I could do alone. This voice in my head, the tightness in my chest, the fog in my l.
