Michelle Obama Talks About Depression and How She Copes With It

Former First Lady Michelle Obama reveals she’s coping from “low-grade depression“. The pandemic, racial strife all over the US, and the political turmoil behind it all, she said.

“I’m getting up in the middle of the night because I’m thinking about something or the heaviness”, Obama said in her “Michele Obama Podcast” that was released on Wednesday. “I’m trying to make sure I get a workout, even though there’s been stretches all during this quarantine, where I’ve felt too weak.”

For many American citizens, it’s a familiar feeling.

A census study found that one in three Americans reported signs of anxiety and depression. It is more than 3 times the rate from a comparable survey taken in the first half of 2019. Due to social distancing norms, citizens have gone too long not seeing their friends or relatives. This in turn, may prove profoundly detrimental to one’s mental well-being.

She also addressed racial reconciliation during America following George Floyd’s death this summer. The former FLOTUS also clarified that it is “exhausting” to “waking up to some other story about a Black man or a Black person being somehow dehumanized”.

On Thursday, Obama chose Instagram to address her 40.8 million followers.

“I just wanted to check in with all of you because a lot of you were checking in on me after this week’s show. First things first — I’m just doing great. There’s no need to worry about me,” she said.

She added that it was all right to understand that the world around us might have an impact.

What’s low-grade depression?

Dr. Ramon Solhkhah, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Director of Behavioral Health at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, says that while he does not know the particular case of the former first lady, he can speak about depression in simple terms.

He says that major depressive disorder, occasionally known to as “clinical depression,” can be divided into three stages of severity: mild, moderate, and severe.

The number of symptoms and the severity of the symptoms will decide whether an individual’s depression would be defined.

Zajecka notes that most people who classify their depression as mild have the signs of significant depression.  These include low energy, or sleep problems — but are not severe enough to cause considerable dysfunction.

Solhkhah states that the symptoms of depression fall into two categories: neurovegetative (physical) symptoms and mood symptoms.

To consult a doctor to treat depression, he says you first need to show signs of stress, which may include depressed stress or frustration.

You also need to have four to five physical depression symptoms.

Obama said that keeping in touch with loved ones and taking a social media break helped her get out of a “bad spot.”

Michelle Obama says quarantine with her husband, Barack Obama, and her two daughters, Sasha, 19, and Malia, 22, helped to lift her spirit in difficult times.

And it’s necessary to note that humans are resilient. In the past, we had challenges – even though there were moments when we doubted ourselves and overcame it.

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