Coping with Depression and Anxiety | Dominique Larue | TEDxColumbusWomen

Summary

In this heartfelt speech, Dominique La Rue shares her personal journey of coping with depression and anxiety. She discusses the constant battle between self-doubt and self-assurance, and how she finds positive ways to manage her mental health through music, exercise, yoga, and self-care. La Rue emphasizes the importance of living in the present moment and choosing happiness despite the challenges. She concludes with a performance of her song 'Beautiful,' which reflects her commitment to embracing life and maintaining a positive outlook.

Takeaways

• 😊 Coping with depression and anxiety involves no off days; the speaker wakes up feeling very sad and sometimes cannot get out of bed.
• 😔 The speaker experiences a perpetual feeling of being stuck due to depression and anxiety.
• 🎶 Music is used as a coping mechanism, but it can sometimes contribute to depression.
• 💪 The speaker practices exercise and yoga as positive ways to cope, which helps with mental, emotional, and physical maintenance.
• 💧 Drinking water, exfoliating skin, and minding their own business are part of their self-care routine.
• 🧠 Understanding happiness involves experiencing sadness; the speaker has learned to revel in moments of feeling good and to remain in the moment.
• ⏳ The power of now is emphasized, as depression feeds off the past and anxiety feeds off the future.
• 🎂 On their birthday, the speaker decided to choose happiness for the next 365 days, even though they previously found the concept corny.
• 😌 The speaker accepts their sadness and does not view it as a weakness, aiming to choose happiness moving forward.
• 🎤 The song performed reflects the speaker's journey and decision to embrace happiness, progress, and the beauty of life.

Q & A

What is the main topic discussed in the transcript?

The main topic discussed is how the speaker, Dominique La Rue, deals and copes with depression and anxiety.

How does Dominique describe the effect of depression and anxiety on their daily life?

Dominique describes feeling very sad upon waking up, sometimes being unable to get out of bed, and experiencing a constant struggle between wanting to die and questioning the implications of dying due to anxiety.

What are some positive coping mechanisms mentioned by Dominique?

Some positive coping mechanisms mentioned include using music, exercising, practicing yoga, drinking water, exfoliating the skin, and minding their own business.

How does Dominique describe their relationship with self-doubt and self-assurance?

Dominique describes it as a daily teeter between self-doubt and self-assurance, where one day they love a song they create and the next day they might hate it.

What negative coping mechanisms did Dominique mention they used in the past?

In the past, Dominique mentioned using self-destruction as a negative coping mechanism.

What does Dominique say about the relationship between experiencing sadness and understanding happiness?

Dominique believes that to truly understand happiness, one must experience sadness, and they have learned to revel in moments of feeling good.

How does Dominique view the concepts of the past, present, and future in relation to depression and anxiety?

Dominique views depression as feeding off the past and anxiety feeding off the future, emphasizing the importance of remaining in the present moment.

What decision did Dominique make on their recent birthday?

On their recent birthday, Dominique decided to try choosing happiness for the next 365 days, despite previously thinking it was corny.

What is the main message of the song performed by Dominique?

The main message of the song is about accepting flaws, striving for progress, and recognizing that life is beautiful despite its temporary nature and challenges.

What are some specific lines from the song that reflect the theme of progress and self-acceptance?

Specific lines from the song reflecting progress and self-acceptance include 'I'm accepting my flaws and that's why I'm going through it for the cause its life it's beautiful' and 'I need a little bit of progress, moving a little slow but it's the process.'