Vices, Self-esteem and Depression

Vices, Low Self-esteem, Depression and Auto destruction will the subjects of this article.

Are you vice free(straightedge)?

I personally am not. Let's see what would qualify as a Vice as per Wikipedia "Vice is a practice, behavior, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, or degrading in the associated society." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice When I say vice however I mean addiction. There are multiple types of addictions, some of these include smoking, doping, using drugs, drinking alcohol, video games, sex and others. The most common vices are alcohol addiction https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_alcohol_consumption_per_capita and smoking addiction https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_cigarette_consumption_per_capita. These numbers may not be accurate, let's face it, we do not like being categorized as a person who has vices, therefore making us less likely to admit that we are. Furthermore, these 2 addictions are some of the biggest killers of mankind.

What do all these vices have in common?

They help an individual cope with the hardships of life and provide small releases of serotonin and dopamine. Serotonin gives the effect of happiness for an individual while dopamine is released by the brain based on a rewarding and autosuggestion basis. The other 2 most addictive substances for the brain are endorphins released when an individual is inflicted with pain and Oxytocin which is the substance secreted when an individual loves another, a love hormone. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurochemical https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurohormone Furthermore cigarettes contain nicotine which is highly addictive, I, myself am a smoker for a bit over a year now. Alcohol offers a state of numbness and can affect memory. Drugs usually include substances that also reward the brain with said serotonin and because of the amount it rewards the brain with, they can become highly addictive. Marijuana the most common and even legalized drug in many states can impact your brain negatively especially if taken in adolescence. Other drugs include cocaine and speed, which give a rush to the user. Other more popular hallucinogenic drugs include acid and mushrooms. Lastly, one of the most powerful drugs is considered DMT which a substance the brain secretes during the dying moments of an individual. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N,N-Dimethyltryptamine Many people debate if not the substance itself creates powerful outer body experiences when having a near death experience. Steroid doping is also an addiction which provides the person with a rush when straining muscles, the pain produced by straining the muscles helps release endorphins. Video games reward the player with Dopamine when performing tasks successfully inside the game, these games can also include mobile games. Currently it's one of the most common addictions for kids. These releases of Dopamine are not only affected by video games, but also by social media. Other generations had a harder time procuring dopamine releases and it is said that person to person relations were the ones to stimulate the dopamine levels for our brains. There should be no surprise for anybody that younger generations are more prone to depression when the society we live in rewards the brain with the substances it needs to provide happiness but makes it easier to do it without having to interact with others face to face. This has created the side effect of having one of the most depressed generations in history(the millennials). Depression is often combined with a low sense of self-esteem. The individual doesn't see himself as useful or meaningful. Many times this low sense of self-esteem is also caused by external factors, like bullying or comparisons with other. We tend to post only our successes on social media, this leads to a toxic environment for the less successful people. https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Demystifying_Depression/Quantifying_Depression

How to exit depression?

Firstly you should attempt to improve your sense of self-esteem, and then make meaningful relations with your friends and family. An occupation could also help generate interest in a certain domain and could help you find your passion. Passionate people although sometimes a bit centered a bit too much on their work have found their meaning in life. But what do I know, I am still struggling with my own fight against depression. Sometimes you just have to force yourself to do things or try things you otherwise would not. That is also the way this blog started, as an escape from reality while still discussing subjects of reality. My own take on depression is that sadly medication does not treat it, it only makes it less of a burden to carry around. You are still the one that needs to make small meaningful steps for yourself. A fitting saying says the following: "It is better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all." This should be the way many people take when trying to escape depression. Each and every one of us have the duty to get better, we live in prosperity, survival is easier than ever, however we cannot take joy in this due to factors outside our power of influence. Perhaps it is better to sometimes tackle the subject head on with your friends. There are many depressed but there are even more depressed people that are not diagnosed and feel the same things you do. You just need to find someone to listen to you in your hard times. A true friend. Who knows if he maybe had the same struggle and has surpassed his depression, maybe he could give you some better tips than I or even a doctor can give. As for the low self-esteem, I want to note that it is hard to get self-esteem on command. Perfection is something we strive for but never reach. With that in mind, perhaps something you haven't heard in a long while is that you do matter and you are important. Even if video games can cause addiction, I must also state that they provide great opportunities for companionship, at least multiplayer games. Why not take your time and befriend somebody from the other side of the globe, who knows it might reveal to you that we are not so different one from another. Lastly, I would like to mention that all these vices are undertaken by individuals who have not developed a proper coping mechanism to the problems and hardships of life. Such individuals may be very aware of the negative effects these addictions bring with themselves but due to carelessness or hate for oneself they develop a self-destructive coping mechanism. There are many drugs out there, including heroin, one of the most addictive drugs that can ruin one's life. I would like to influence you to not take drugs as a way of escaping reality and hardships. They will bring you to an even worse state compared to the one you began with. A good coping mechanism that a friend told me about was to note down everything I am grateful about during my day to day life. These can be from the most basic of things: For example that I am alive to me having food on my plate today. Start slowly to see the full side of the glass even if all you can see is a few drops, you can slowly at your pace fill up that glass of water, but this can only be done with a positive attitude. For a few days now I haven't had any inspiration to write, one of the few activities that make me cope with life and I am grateful that I was able to write this article and maybe help a few people in a similar situation with mine. Furthermore if you would like to contact me, to make a friend, I am not sure that I am the right person to do it, but I can give it a try.