Does donald glover have depression?

In this blog we will discuss Donald Glover and his alleged struggle with depression. 

Does donald glover have depression?

Officially Donald Glover has not confirmed that he has depression, in fact he even went on to deny that he had depression after many of his fans expressed concern for his mental health. 

Donald Glover, actor widely known for his role for the TV series Community as well as a musician, has recently become a point of discussion after he put up a series of alarming posts on instagram.

In this post he wrote:

“I feel like I’m letting everyone down. I’m afraid people hate who I really am. I’m afraid I hate who I really am. I’ve been sick this year. This is the first time I’ve felt helpless.” (Charlotte Triggs, people)

While this was clear that Glover was distressed, he later denied that he had depression stating that he was merely taking onto instagram to vent after a particularly hard day. 

He noted that this was his way of expressing his feelings after he came to a point of absolute defeat at his work. 

He told the writers at People magazine:

 “That night, we had a show, and then afterwards, I had this moment of feeling like, ‘What’s the point? Why am I even here?’ “I just wanted to write down my feelings. I definitely was just expressing myself.”(Charlotte Triggs, people)

He later continued to say that he is not depressed, rather he is struggling with what he considers a normal experience in the life of an individual. 

He noted that he was tired of explaining himself to other people, especially when they would ask if he was okay. He also expressed that he was not one of those people that tell people everything and that was especially hard on him because he believed that, 

“I guess sometimes not telling the truth is just as bad as telling a lie.” when it came to explaining his exhaustion away. He was in fact quite private in his conversation with people.

Grover noted that he was quite happy that he did express himself as he felt relieved after carrying those negative and difficult feelings for quite a while. 

He has also expressed that this particular time in his life where he has been left feeling distraught came at a point in his career where he felt left out. 

For Grover, being part of any conversation is very important as he expressed:

“So it feels really cool to have a voice in the conversation, that’s all I ever wanted. I think that’s all you can ever ask for as an artist.” (Kaleem Aftab, the National News)

However, he also noted that after the success of his music video and his music career, he has been experiencing insomnia, and extreme loneliness, as well as anxiety related to his success. 

While Grover has been vehemently denying that he has depression, Dustin Rowles for Uproxx notes that what he is describing in his interviews is mostly depression-like symptoms.

Grover has noted out symptoms such as:

• Fatigue and decreased energy.
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness
• Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
• Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable
• Insomnia,
• Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” feelings

While one cannot say whether Donald Grover is depressed or not unless he opens up about it, one has to remember that people experience depression in different ways and it is important to give them the privacy to come to terms with it while offering them support when they reach out. 

What is depression?

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a leading publication used for diagnosis of mental disorders by mental health professionals, Major depressive disorder or depression is a serious mood disorder.

Depression is marked by the following symptoms:

• Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day- either by their own observation or observation made by others.
• Diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day.
• Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain, or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day.
• Insomnia or hypersomnia. 
• A slowing down of thought and a reduction of physical movement (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down).
• Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.
• Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day.
• Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day.

Depression symptoms also include extremely low mood and fatigue and is often accompanied by thoughts of worthlessness and hopelessness which can lead to suicidal ideation and even attempts. 

Depression related symptoms such as inability to focus, lack of energy, and hopelessness can impact a person’s ability to work and meet the demands of their daily lives. 

People with depression often struggle with low self esteem and self worth which can cause them to negatively assess themselves. They may fear rejection and abandonment from other people which may cause them to isolate themselves in a bid to protect themselves.

This social withdrawal can make it difficult for them to maintain social commitments and relationships as they might choose to push people away especially when they do not have the skills to communicate and manage their emotions and thoughts. 

While these are some of the ways depression impacts a person, the disorder itself can cause the quality of life of people who have it to drastically decrease and in extreme cases, if the disorder is left untreated, it can lead to suicide attempts and death. 

How to cope and manage if you have depression?

Here are a few things you can do to cope with depression:

Seek professional help

If you have not been diagnosed, do not stick to self diagnosis based on your symptoms. Seek out professional consultations starting with your GP who can refer you to specialists in the field. 

There may be different medications- some which might work for you while others that might not help you. 

Taking time to find a doctor who can help you with estimating the right dosage of medication and the right medical treatment can make the quality of your journey to recovery drastically different. 

Reduce stress

If it’s a job that is causing you immense stress, maybe it is time to consider taking a leave of absence. Or it could be your own family environment that is causing your symptoms to flare up- consider moving out if your financial situation persists. 

The intent here is to reduce or remove the things in your life that add stress. If it is a certain relationship, taking the time to set boundaries or communicate that you are taking time out can be one way. 

By reducing stressors, the thought of waking up and facing your day may seem a little less daunting, you might even look forward to it. 

Learn and apply coping skills

If you are depressed, you can learn coping skills and techniques and apply them at least once a day when experiencing depression. 

This can be learning how to tackle your anxieties and negative moods by regulating your breathing and engaging in deep breathing techniques. 

You can also try grounding techniques to help you cope with spiralling down a negative rumination. Make goals for each day and let your goals be small, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound, 

Make plans for your day that suit your pace- if today is especially difficult, make a step by step plan from your bed to the bathroom in the mornings. Reward yourself when you succeed and be kind when you slip up. Remind yourself that you are learning. 

Exercise

Engaging in exercise, even if it is only a 15 minute stretch can be a wonderful step towards loving yourself and caring for yourself. 

You can opt for joining the gym however, if this is too much you can consider yoga or pilates that you can start gradually; you can also go for walks or runs alone or with your loved ones. 

Getting out of your house and doing something that allows you to get your blood pumping in itself can be a great way of self care. 

Eat a healthy diet

Diet is an important aspect of overall health and is an important component of maintaining a positive state of mental health. 

There has been plenty of research studies that have been linked to what we eat and higher risks of depression. Research finds that well balanced meals with adequate intake of vegetables, fruits, grain, and healthy fats are related to lower risks of depression.

Sleep well

Take time to improve your sleep hygiene. Research has found that sleep disorders are also a core symptom of depression. Irregular sleep and not enough sleep can make your healing process difficult and can even heighten the risk of relapse. 

Some of the things you can do to improve your sleep hygiene are

• Avoid substances that impact your sleep, this includes caffeine. 
• Exercise daily
• Avoid heavy dinners
• Change your sleeping environment to be more soothing and sleep inducing. 
• Make changes in your pre-sleep routine such as taking relaxing baths before sleep, avoiding gadgets two hours before sleeping time.

Connect with loved ones

Reaching out to people who love you and letting them know that you are having a hard time now, can bring you closer to people who truly love and care for you.

These are positive relationships we want and need around you as you begin your journey to recovery. Positive relationships help you discover joys and meaning to your life. 

Make plans to meet them for lunch, or go for a walk with them. Make sure you make clear what you can and cannot do and agree on something that both you and them can enjoy. 

You can also take the step to connect with other people who are coping with depression through group therapy or support groups.

Oftentimes, listening to other people’s successes can instil hope, it also gives you the opportunity to learn new perspectives of living and life along with new techniques to cope.

Conclusion

In this blog we have discussed Donald Glover and his alleged struggle with depression. 

References

Kaleem Aftab. Donald Glover: ‘All I ever wanted was to be part of the conversation’ The National News. Retrieved on 26th April 2022. https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film/donald-glover-all-i-ever-wanted-was-to-be-part-of-the-conversation-1.733511

Dustin Rowles. Donald Glover Insists That He’s Not Depressed (But He Is Really Depressed). UpRoxx. Retrieved on 26th April 2022. https://uproxx.com/tv/donald-glover-insists-hes-depressed-really-depressed/

Charlotte Triggs. Donald Glover: I Didn’t Want to Lie About My Feelings Anymore. People. Retrieved on 26th April 2022. https://people.com/tv/donald-glover-i-didnt-want-to-lie-about-my-feelings-anymore/#:~:text=However%20 Glover%2C%2030%2C%20says%20he,don’t%20tell%20everybody.%E2%80%9D