Does h3h3 Ethan Klien have depression?

In this blog we will discuss H3H3 youtuber Ethan Klein and his battle with depression. 

Does h3h3 Ethan Klien have depression?

H3H3Productions Ethan Klien has opened up about his battle with depression in a return video uploaded onto the channel after their 3 month hiatus. 

The duo had taken a hiatus in the earlier half of 2018 and had returned back to the platform YouTube in September 2018. 

The husband and wife duo broke their hiatus after a three month break, and in his first youtube video back Ethan Klien described his battle with depression, anxiety.

His partner Hilda also opened up about how the death of her father had affected her during this time and their struggle together during this difficult time.

Prior to the hiatus, H3H3 had last uploaded in june 2018 and returned while video promoting their new mobile game, H3H3 Ball Rider. 

It was during this promotion that the duo was under fire by viewers and fans of the channel and the video received a lot of negative feedback. 

In this video that they uploaded in 2018 september that followed a twitter post about his choice to release the game, he starts by referring to the mobile game video, saying “It’s me and Hila here, not in a video game ad, but in a real video,” (Dexerto)

The spokesperson for the channel, Ethan goes on to explain why the duo has decided to take a break for the past three months highlighting his battle with depression. 

“The past three months, and specifically the last year, have probably been the hardest of our lives. It’s just been a string of really difficult to handle events, that I think really just took a toll on us. […] I have just accepted that I am actually depressed. Confronting that was hard, because I always felt like it was a weakness.” (Dexerto)

During this video, Klein also revealed that Hila’s father had passed away during this time after he lost the battle to cancer and that the duo were separated during this time as his wife had to go to Israel to visit family. 

It has to be mentioned that Ethan Klein of H3H3 did not particularly go into detail of his battle with depression and briefly describe his situation as. 

“string of really difficult to handle events”. 

It is also difficult to say whether Klein is under treatment and medication for depression as he did not go into detail about his mental health condition however, the duo planned to get back to uploading original content soon. 

H3H3 Ethan Klein also spoke about some details about his struggles with anxiety and depression- particularly his journey towards acceptance.

“I have just accepted that I am actually depressed. Confronting that was hard because I always felt like it was a weakness.” Ethan says in the video.

It is perhaps the stigma surrounding mental illnesses and the fear of appearing weak which deterred him from early acceptance and seeking out treatment. 

However, considering that he has now accepted his own state of mental health and the fact that he is anxious and depressed, one can hope that he is getting the help that he needs. 

As of today, H3H3 has now moved on to podcasts that air fairly regularly as well as some regular youtube content that they have been working on. 

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 H3H3 youtuber Ethan Klein and his battle with depression. 

References

Danielle Partis. H3H3 returns to YouTube after a three month mental health break. Influencer Update, Retrieved on 25th April 2022. https://www.influencerupdate.biz/news/67573/h3h3s-ethan-klein-returns-to-youtube-after-a-three-month-mental-health-break/

Calum Patterson. Ethan Klein of H3H3 announces return to YouTube after a 3 month break caused by depression and anxiety. Dexerto. Retrieved on 26th April 2022. https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/ethan-klein-of-h3h3-announces-return-to-youtube-after-3-month-break-caused-by-depression-and-anxiety-166242/