Taraji P Henson has been very vocal when it comes to discussions of mental health and battling depression this year. Her willingness to publicly speak on her struggles with depression has allowed people suffering from the same symptoms to be open about the illness and seek help when needed. In a recent interview with BET style, Henson shares how she overcomes depression, and what steps others should take if they feel signs of depression creeping in.
Everyone has moments where they start to not feel like themselves and can’t understand why. Some people will battle this feeling on their own but Henson believes the ability to call on others during this time could help out a lot, “When I have moments when I feel the darkness creeping in, that’s what I like to call it, I have friends that I can call on that, that’ll pull me out of it. Sometimes I’ll find it hard to motivate myself to work out. I have a friend I can call that will come to make me get up and go work out. I meditate. I am into aromatherapy. I’m into sound therapy. So I play Tibetan music singing bowls, and that helps a lot.”
Although calling on a friend might get you out of your funk for that moment, “seeking professional help is crucial”, says Henson and encourage others to seek a therapist to find what works for them. “You have to find what works for you. You know, you should absolutely seek a therapist. Your friends are not your therapists. They are very biased, and they have stakes involved in you. So sometimes their opinion can be skewed a bit. So that’s why it’s important to seek a professional, someone who studies human behavior and the human mind.”
