October 11, 2024
Tania Nguyen

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In honor of World Mental Health Day, I wanted to take a moment to share my experience in hopes of furthering more honest dialogues around mental health.

 

Earlier this year, I was diagnosed with major depression. It was something that I’d known about myself for a long time, but it was still for some reason surprising to hear it from a doctor. I know that I am not alone in struggling with this.

 

Since then, I’ve done a lot of work to understand the biological basis of depression. I intend to write about this with the nuance and depth that it deserves in the future. But for today, I wanted to share a few of the things that have helped me.

 

• Prioritizing the most basic aspects of my health — namely, sleep, nutrition, and exercise — have been critical. Studies show that, in many cases, these basic lifestyle choices can be equally as effective as medication in combatting depression. In fact, even modest amounts of exercise are sufficient to cause the release of endorphins in the brain that relieve pain and stress, as well the reduction of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.

 

• Certain supplements that many athletes already take (e.g., creatine and fish oil) have been shown to act beneficially on neurotransmitter pathways that can lessen depressive symptoms — as well as avoiding drugs and alcohol. I make an effort to stay consistent with all of these.
   

• Tracking my cycle and understanding which phases cause symptoms that mimic clinical depression (see: the luteal phase) has helped me better anticipate and manage related changes in my mood. I hope that one day basic information about the menstrual cycle and its biological effects becomes a mandatory aspect of all public-school health curriculums.
   

• Loneliness and social isolation are significant contributors to depressive symptoms. Getting in a workout, going for a walk with a friend, or taking a group class have proven to be really helpful to me in managing my symptoms. It is one of the many reasons why I love sport.
   

• And finally: Research shows that repeated bouts of chronic, long-term stress greatly increase the likelihood of lapsing into a major depressive episode. If there is something in life that is causing you repeated stress (e.g., a relationship or, in my case, a career), taking the difficult albeit necessary steps to make a change will go a long way towards improving your mental health.

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​I’ve come to realize that mental health is a spectrum at the far end of which there is no “perfect” state of mental health. Experiencing mental health issues doesn’t make us unwell — it simply makes us human. Although there is no panacea, there are powerful choices that we can make to improve our mental well-being.  I wanted to share my experience to let you know that you are not powerless — and you are certainly not alone.

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It is important to me that Selects is a mission-driven brand.  We are committed to increasing mental-health awareness in sport through advocacy and, in the near future, community partnerships.  

 

For today, we are starting with honesty.

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